I meet a lot of parents who are amazed at their child’s thumb sucking.
Many claim, “They’ve been doing it since they were in the womb,” and they’re not kidding.
Sucking is a primitive reflex that we are all born with, one that infants associate with warmth and safety.
It is the endorphins and dopamine that is produced in the brain during sucking that gives babies pleasure and comfort. As infants get older, this self-soothing comfort can sometimes transfer to a finger, or a thumb or an object, still producing the same calming and relaxing effects.
Beyond the age of 18 months, however, if children are still thumb sucking it has merely become a habit or a symptom of a bigger issue.
But the big question is, when does digit and thumb sucking become a concern?
Prolonged and vigorous sucking can affect normal development of the jaws. The forces that are placed on the soft growing bones of the palate by the digits and thumb are not an ideal shape or pressure.
That role actually belongs to the tongue, which is meant to rest in the roof of the mouth shaping it into a nice horseshoe shape as the child grows. A child who sucks, however, generally has a habit of keeping their tongue in a low resting position, often underneath a digit or thumb.
The forces of the thumb sucking can displace the adult teeth causing them to become maligned. For most parents, that statement translates into one word – ‘braces’.
Although much cooler than when we were kid, it’s still a road most parents would prefer their child not to have to go down.
Kids who digit and thumb sucking also have the potential to develop a mouth-breathing habit, callouses and cuticle infections and speech and articulation difficulties.
Some children are able to quite on their own, but others may need profession guidance.
Author – Penny
Oral Health Therapist (OHT) | Myofunctional Clinician
Penny is passionate about providing early intervention. She has a special interest in developing happy, healthy faces by addressing mouth breathing, sleep disordered breathing and poor myofunctional habits which can lead to crooked teeth, limited jaw development and other health concerns. She works closely with Dr Mark who has over 30 years’ experience as a leading dentist in his field. If you’re ready, let’s book a time for you to chat at an appointment. Tel 5573 0188 or email us on welcome@dentalasanything.com.au .
