Thumb-sucking in children is a completely common part of growing up, but it is bad for their oral health. Lengthy thumb sucking sessions cause a child’s teeth to grow in improperly and even stunt the growth of teeth. To ensure your child’s future smile will be great, encourage and aid them to stop thumb sucking as soon as possible. For a better understanding of the basics of thumb sucking, listed below are principles concerning thumb sucking:

– Bacteria from a child’s thumb can easily end up in their mouth when they suck their thumb, which opens a child up to a multitude of oral health ailments associated with poor oral hygiene.– Pacifiers are just as harmful to a child’s oral health as thumb sucking can be, but pacifiers do tend to be an easier habit to break and wean children from.– Pediatricians can administer nasty substances to wean children from thumb sucking by placing the substance on their thumbs.– Thumb sucking can stunt a child’s oral health progress and slow the rate at which teeth grow in.– Children who suck their thumbs are increasingly more likely to develop alignment issues with their teeth.– It is critical to build a sense of self-worth in children to boost their self-esteem and help them abandon thumb sucking as a means of a security blanket or protection.

No matter which pediatric service you choose, the real importance is the oral health benefits it can provide. If you would like Dr. Matt Swan and our team at Mountainland Pediatric Dental & Orthodontics to bring your child in for an oral exam to determine which treatment is best for them, please contact our pediatric office in Lehi, Utah, by calling us at 801-766-2111. We look forward to helping achieve the successful smile your child requires.