Preserving Your Child’s Smile When They Suck Their Thumb

Has your child been sucking her thumb for too long? Some children may take longer to quit the habit than others, but there are remedies to help move the process along.

To learn more, please read the following:

• Children frequently suck their thumbs because they are scared or insecure.
• Although it should only be used if other treatment levels have failed, your pediatrician may suggest treatments using flavours specifically used to discourage children from sucking their thumbs.
• Thumb sucking can delay the growth of a baby’s teeth, and it can even alter the growth of adult teeth that grow in later.
•  If you want to break a child’s habit of thumb sucking, do not rely on pacifiers, as they can lead to the same type of damage to your teeth that thumb sucking can.
• Teeth can be edged out of their proper alignment by thumb sucking habits.
• If a child sucks their thumb, they run the risk introducing new bacteria to their mouths.

You can assistance with your child’s thumb-sucking with the help of our team at Long Family & Cosmetic Dentistry. To book an appointment with Dr. Parker Long at our office in College Station, Texas, please contact us at 979-846-0082. We look forward to helping your child have a beautiful smile.