Children’s health is undoubtedly a concern for parents. They want their kid to grow up healthy without being habitual of things that could risk their development. A common concern that parents have is whether their child’s thumb-sucking will harm their oral health. It has been reported that prolonged thumb-sucking or pacifier use can negatively impact a child’s smile over time. While thumb-sucking can pacify your child, it can also be detrimental to his or her dental health, and thus, he or she will need to see a kid’s dentist in Dubai.
This article talks about why thumb-sucking can be harmful and how the best pediatric dentist in Dubai can come to help.
Why can thumb-sucking be harmful?
Not all thumb sucking ends in damage to the oral health of a child. Both passive and active thumb-sucking can have an impact on teeth and jaw development. According to the best dentist for kids, thumb-sucking gives the child a coping mechanism when feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Also, allowing thumb-sucking could lead to fewer sleepless nights for exhausted parents or caregivers. Thumb-sucking is an obvious thing for infants, but the same is not advised for kids above two years of age.
However, active thumb-sucking that involves a lot of motion can harm a child’s dental health. A continued and vigorous thumb-sucking habit can affect the alignment of a child’s permanent teeth which further affects the jaw or the mouth’s shape. In addition to this, your child is also exposed to bacteria, viruses, or dirt. As per professionals, parents should discourage the thumb-sucking habit of their child by age four.
Here mentioned are some effects of thumb-sucking:
1. Problem with malocclusion
A prolonged thumb-sucking habit is a major cause of malocclusion as well as misalignment of the upper and lower teeth. The most common malocclusion caused by thumb-sucking is an open bite. An open bite is a dental disorder in which the front upper and bottom teeth do not reach one another even after closing the mouth.
Additionally, a child might also suffer from overbites when sucking their thumb for long. Overbites mean that the bottom teeth are exaggeratedly overlapped by the front teeth, causing issues with the functioning of the front teeth. In both cases, the child should be taken to the kid’s dentist in Dubai for assessment and treatment. Typically, thumb sucking can produce gaps and incorrect alignments of teeth and jaw making it difficult for the kids to chew and bite into foods.
2. Effects on the jaw and facial development
From infancy to adolescence, a child’s jaw and face will also change as they grow and develop. If your child thumb-suck excessively, it can have a negative impact on the development of their orofacial complex, which includes their jaw, teeth, and facial muscles. Thumb-sucking also causes the teeth to shift in an unusual direction, affecting the jaw’s ability to properly position itself.
3. Impaired speech development
In some children, thumb-sucking can even impair their speech development due to an open bite or an overbite. Moreover, children with a bad habit of sucking their thumbs will be able to push the tongue forward through the teeth. Poor tongue control leads to a lisp and makes it difficult for children to pronounce sounds such as S, Z, L, and R.
As per the best pediatric dentist in Dubai, babies need to babble and practice various sounds by shaping their mouths and using their facial muscles. But kids with passive thumb-sucking habits miss out on the opportunity of developing and practicing these formative language skills.
How long does thumb-sucking usually last?
Between the ages of 2 and 4, most children stop sucking their thumbs on their own. It is advised by the dentists to stop your kid from thumb-sucking as early as possible. Thus, it won’t become a hard habit to change once the kids attain the age of 6 years or above.
How can dentists help your child deal with these problems?
During a regular dental checkup, the best dentist for kids will examine your child’s teeth for cavities or other oral health problems. This particular check-up might include x-rays of the teeth and jaw and also a thorough check of any orthodontic problems, like an open bite or overbite.
Once your child reaches an appropriate age, the kid’s dentist in Dubai will recommend several orthodontic treatments that can help correct even the most severe malocclusions. The best pediatric dentist in Dubai can treat your child’s alignment issues using different types of braces, including invisible braces, metal braces, ceramic braces, Invisalign, and others. Your dentist will first discuss the process and benefits of the treatments before opting for one.
Tips to prevent thumb-sucking habits in kids
The below-mentioned are some tips as specified by the best dentist for kids for helping your child break his or her thumb-sucking habit:
1. Try to limit the times a child is allowed to suck his or her thumb
You should observe and carefully enforce the limits for which your kid is allowed to suck his or her thumb. This could help wean off your kid’s thumb-sucking habit.
2. Offer a substitute when children are feeling anxious
In case your child is feeling anxious then offer them a substitute in the form of a toy or soft blanket. They can hold and cuddle these things to calm themselves down.
3. Try to help your child become more self-aware
Many times, kids do not even notice when they are sucking their thumbs. By mentioning the same time and again, you can make them more self-aware and thus, slowly wean off the habit.
Wrapping up it all!
As discussed, prolonged thumb-sucking can be harmful to your child’s dental health and overall development. The sooner your child will kick the thumb-sucking habit, his smile and oral health will benefit greatly. However, if your child is suffering from a severe dental issue because of thumb-sucking, you should consider visiting the kid’s dentist in Dubai.
If you’re looking for the best pediatric dentist in Dubai for your kid, visit Dr. Yasmin Kottait today. She is a renowned and certified kids’ dentist. No matter if your kid is facing common oral/teeth problems or a dental emergency, Dr. Yasmin is here to help save the day!