We often see small kids sucking their thumb. This thumb sucking is something any child does since the time he/she is in the womb. This is known as sucking reflex. So, it is quite normal to suck thumbs in the beginning. But what if longtime thumb sucking becomes a habit? Will it affect the child? Definitely yes. Thumb sucking even after the age of four years can lead to lifelong consequences. Your child’s teeth is most likely to be affected due to this habit. Let’s see a few major effects of thumb sucking on your child’s teeth.
Malocclusion
Malocclusion is one of the major effects of thumb sucking. The alignment of the teeth in the upper and lower jaw is known as malocclusion. There are various types of malocclusion your child can face in the future due to the present problem of thumb sucking. When the child sucks the thumb, it puts pressure on his/her teeth causing malocclusion. The most common malocclusion is open bite where there is no overlapping between teeth but a gap is created between the upper and lower teeth.
Misaligned Jaw
The other major problem of thumb sucking is misaligned jaws. Prolonged sucking can cause your jaw to get misaligned. which can lead to other serious issues like temporomandibular joint disorder, speech problems etc.
Speech Problems
Often it is seen that children who suck thumb for a long period face problems with their speech too. This is because thumb sucking affects the growth of teeth, tongue, and jaw. Due to the abnormal growth, and change in teeth structure, your child might lisp or find it difficult to pronounce some words.
Malformed Palate
Although very rare, but excessive thumb sucking can damage or can cause malformed roof of the mouth. Thumb sucking can hinder the growth of the soft palate in the developing stage and cause some major problems with your speech, dental health, and appearance.
Thumb sucking is often considered very normal in the initial stages of growth. But when this becomes a habit and if left untreated, it can cause major issues.
If your child is suffering from any of these problems, make sure you take your child to General dentistry clinic in Edmonton