Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking is the childhood habit of putting the thumb in the mouth for comfort or to relieve stress. You may ask yourself why? Kids suck their thumbs because it’s comforting and calming. Kids normally practiced such habits while they are still in the womb.

Causes of Thumb sucking

Kids turn to suck their thumb when she’s tired, scared, bored, sick, or trying to adjust to challenges such as starting daycare or preschool. They may also use their thumb to help themselves fall asleep at bedtime and to lull them back to sleep when they wake up in the middle of the night. Now you be wondering around what age should they stop thumb sucking, typically about 5 years of age is when kids tend to break the habit no harm is done to the dentition until permanent teeth begin to erupt.

Suggested Treatment

So what can you as parent do to get them to stop sooner? First, bringing them to a dentist, after the age of 6 there could be damage to the shape of the oral cavity or dentition. Thumbsucking leads to open bite and a high arched palate because of the pressure created in the mouth. This habit can also cause the upper teeth to flare towards the lips and the lower anterior teeth to tip towards the tongue as the thumb rests on them during the course of sucking.