Danger Behind Thumb Sucking

The Danger Behind That Cute Thumb Sucking Habit

How many times do you think a child has been told how cute they look when they suck their thumb at night? It might be the most innocent of stances that we can take, and the most relaxing, but in time it’s going to have pretty serious effects on your teeth and your dental composition. From scolding the child to giving them a thumb guard, countless different solutions have been attempted over the years. While every child is will respond differently, making it impossible to come up with a catch-all solution to thumb sucking, it’s important to understand just how serious the issue can become if you don’t do anything about it.

For a start, thumb sucking can knock your child’s teeth out of line ever so slightly over the years. This can create an under or over bite which can be socially distressing as many people can be self-conscious about having teeth like this.

Additionally, teeth can become damaged or bent out of shape, or even start to come in at the wrong place, due to the pressure of the thumb pushing down on where the tooth should be coming through. This can cost lots in dental treatments down the line and can also be pretty sore to deal with for the child.

If you want your child to have a comfortable life socially then your best bet is to let them know about the dangers posed by thumb sucking – aside from the dental side of things it can become quite a stigma at older ages for a child to do this. In fact, any child over the age of five should really have stopped by now – not only is it seen as childish but it could be used as a target for your child’s insecurities in a school environment.

We all know how school can be and children won’t hold back insulting one another to get popularity – to make sure that your children feel totally happy, give them all the help they need in fitting in and getting over their insecurities. Encourage them to talk about their problems and fears, not just bottle up and suck on their thumbs – this can be easily averted with a little love and care from you, without indulging their thumb sucking habit.

 

If you are really struggling then a thumb guard can be a good choice to go with – it can help stop your child from enjoying the taste of their thumb and wane them off this habit that they really should have dropped quite some time ago! It might be a cute little habit but it can quickly become a problem that goes far beyond being worth it for cuteness. 

 Disclaimer:  The views & opinions expressed in any guest post featured on our site are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions & views of the Cassie's Ramblings community as a whole.