The Dangers Of Children sucking their thumb

The Dangers Of Children sucking their thumb

Children sucking their thumb seems to be one of those phases that nearly every child goes through, much to the chagrin of their parents. While it’s an activity that’s virtually ubiquitous among toddlers (children between the age of 12 to 36 months), it’s one of those “rites of passage” which parents — and their children — have to go through, in order for the latter to come out of the other side after breaking the habit.

Simply put, children sucking their thumbs is more than just a dirty pastime. It’s also one that carries its own set of dangers that parents would rather avoid.

We all know how children between the age of one-to-three years old seemingly grow like weeds. As they get bigger, their mouth and their teeth are growing just the same. For children who begin sucking their thumbs at a very early age, there’s the potential that it can stunt their teeth emerging from the gums in the first place; if there’s a thumb consistently pressed against their gums, it’s not going to leave any room for the teeth to come out.

Why it’s crucial to fix children sucking their thumb as soon as possible?

For slightly older toddlers, when they apply any type of pressure with their thumb on their mouth (or vice versa), that can very well impact the muscles in their mouth in a way that harms the development of their gums and their teeth. While you might not see the problems caused right away, they could very well manifest in larger dental problems shortly thereafter. That goes the same for potential jaw misalignments, especially in the case of overbites, as children who suck their thumb and have the pad of their thumb press against the roof of their mouth consistently are inherently pushing their top jaw more and more forward.

Further, there’s the more obvious component. Children in that age bracket often touch a whole variety of things that would otherwise have no business being ingested. But when your child sucks their thumb, the saliva around their previously-sucked thumb basically acts as an adhesive. So, the process basically goes from a child sucking their thumb, the child taking out the thumb and lower hand covered in saliva, the child touching a whole variety of things, and then the child effectively ingesting particles of the things they touched when they put their thumb back in their mouth. More specifically, children ingesting particles of various natures can introduce different types of bacteria into their mouths, which can lead to early instances of cavities and tooth decay.

There’s also the element of children relying on this habit as a form of mental or psychological security. After all, why is it that children suck their thumbs in the first place? The Mayo Clinic indicates that thumb sucking can lead to feelings of security, and can be an “autopilot response” anytime a child incurs any type of stressor. Put another way: a child who sucks their thumb more frequently and fiercely could also be a sign of some level of insecurity. This is easily solved by positive reinforcement of behaviors and praise for the things they’ve accomplished, so keep these in mind if your child reacts to any type of adverse situation by sticking their thumb in their mouth.