Health Hazards And Remedies For Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking refers to the act of placing the thumb into the mouth and repetition of rhythmically sucking for a prolonged duration

. Thumb sucking is generally associated with babies and young children .Thumb sucking can begin as early as fifteen weeks of growth in the uterus or within months of being. Most children stop sucking their thumbs on their own sometime between ages three and six. They usually do not need treatment to stop thumb-sucking. Prolonged thumb-sucking may cause a child to develop dental problems. Thumb-sucking can cause a child's teeth to become improperly aligned (malocclusion) or push the teeth outward, sometimes malforming the roof (upper palate) of the mouth.

Malocclusion usually corrects itself when the child stops thumb-sucking. Problem of thumb-sucking is most often resolved with home treatment such as offering rewards and praises when the child is not sucking the thumb. Another treatment is by putting gloves on the child's hands or wrapping the thumb with an adhesive bandage or a cloth. The child must be made aware that the glove, bandage, or cloth is not a punishment but is only present to remind the child not to suck the thumb. A special nontoxic, bitter-tasting nail coating such as Thum can be used and it could be applied as a nail polish to the thumbnail every morning, before bed, or whenever a child is seen sucking the thumb. This treatment is most successful when it is combined with a reward system. When home treatments fail to produce good results, other treatments may be followed. These include behavioral therapy, oral devices and thumb devices.

by: Betty Pilon

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