Most parents know that it’s completely normal for their children to start sucking their thumb as toddlers. But what many aren’t aware of is how this seemingly harmless habit can eventually wreak havoc on the structure of their child’s mouth over time. The consistent pressure that’s placed behind the front teeth can end up damaging the alignment of the teeth and jaw, eventually creating an overbite and a multitude of other problems, which may require extensive treatment, like retainers and braces, as they get older. Though not all thumb sucking is necessarily damaging – like passively hold the thumb in the mouth – intense thumb sucking can be for this reason. To learn more about this topic, here are some common ways sucking your thumb ruins your teeth.
Can Develop An Overbite
Constant thumb sucking can have some noticeable impacts on the development of your child’s teeth. The most common is an overbite. This happens when the thumb is placed behind the front teeth and is consistently pulling them forward. Over time, this can cause the front teeth to jut out from the jaw.
Problems With Teeth Alignment
Sucking your thumb also impacts the lower teeth, jawbone and roof of the mouth, which can lead to a series of other issues, such as misalignment with the teeth. In some cases, the bottom teeth can end up shifting inward, or both the top and bottom set of teeth can develop a gap, creating a noticeable open bite.
Changes To Speech
If thumb sucking persists once permanent teeth have emerged, this can alter the shape of the jaw and result in changes to your child’s speech patterns. One common form of this is when children develop a lisp.
Changes To Face Shape
These changes to the jaw, like a narrowing jawline and abnormal tongue rest, can also end up changing the shape of the entire face. A weak or sunken jawline, shrinking of the airways, difficulty swallowing, and even altered breathing patterns can occur as a result.
Though it can be a harmless habit initially as a toddler, there are numerous ways that sucking your thumb ruins your teeth – especially once permanent teeth arrive. This is why we always recommend that parents wean their kids off of this habit before their adult teeth emerge. For more information and advice, book your next appointment at Carlingwood Dental. Our team is always happy to answer any questions or concerns about you and your family’s oral health.
