The habit of thumb-sucking is a common practice among young children and, especially, infants. If the child tends to suck the thumb only for comfort, it might not have an intense impact on the development of the tooth. But if your child is vigorously sucking the thumb, it can cause permanent damage to the teeth; hence if you are living in Omaha, you can get advanced treatment by visiting a dental clinic Omaha, NE. 

What are the common dental problems that a thumb sucker faces?

Here are some common dental problems that arise due to thumb sucking

• The extension of the upper jaw is much further than it should be compared to a child’s face.

• Overbite, it is a problem faced by thumb suckers when the teeth extend out and upwards. 

• Instead of being straight, the front teeth tilt into the child’s mouth.

• There will be a gap between the lower teeth and upper teeth.

• It becomes difficult to bite the front teeth together.

• Disturbance in the formation of lips.

• Abnormal position of the tongue in the mouth. 

• Speech impediments 

How to break the habit of thumb-sucking habits in children?

The following tips are for children who are four or older and who have the habit of sucking their thumb. Here are some following suggestions:

Help your kids to manage stress.

Thumb sucking indicates the stress reaction in kids. Avoiding the habit of thumb-sucking among kids includes helping the kids find another healthier way to handle stress. Whenever they are stressed, bored, or anxious, find ways to soothe them.

Try to avoid negative reinforcement.

Avoid punishing your kids to stop the habit of thumb-sucking. Punishing them will make them feel more anxious and stressed, leading to more sucking of the thumb, and this loop will not stop. 

Try a reward system for them.

Try with short terms and give them rewards to make them feel like a form of achievement; you can either make them their favorite lunch or dinner, or snacks with chocolates would also work. If they start to feel a sense of accomplishment, they will eventually stop the habit of thumb-sucking. 

Ask for help from a dentist.

Asking for help from the dentist, she can help with suggestions and strategies that would be beneficial for the protection of the oral health of the kid.