What is the sucking habit?
This is when the child sucks a finger (usually the thumb) or a pacifier during the day and/or at night.
These habits How common is it?
Finger and pacifier sucking habits are among the most common habits seen in childhood. Generally, this situation starts in 3-month-old babies and is considered normal until the age of 2.
Children enjoy the habit. Prolonged thumb sucking habit is observed in one in every 8 children. This condition is more common in girls than boys.
Pacifier sucking habits tend to stop before the age of 6.
If the habits continue after the age of 7, permanent dental disorders may occur.
Why does my child have such a habit?
There are two reasons for this;
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Such habits create a feeling of comfort and security in the child.
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This is a learned behavior.
Babies have a natural urge to suckle from the period of bottle-feeding or breast-feeding. Such habits cause stimulation of this urge, and over time, it becomes difficult to quit the habit.
Does thumb sucking habit always lead to the development of dental and jaw problems?
No. Tooth and jaw disorders;
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How often the finger is sucked
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How hard the finger is sucked
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It occurs depending on reasons such as how old the habit continues
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If the child sucks his thumb for more than 6 hours a day, dental disorders may occur. It is inevitable.
How does the sucking habit affect the teeth?
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Since the thumb sucking habit prevents the eruption of the front teeth. It causes a vertical gap between the front teeth. This situation creates difficulty in biting food.
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The upper front teeth become protruded forward.
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Stenosis occurs in the upper jaw. condition of back teeth It causes the valve to close.
What can I do to stop my child's habit?
It is not easy to stop a habit that the child enjoys. However, it would be a good start to make an effort to prevent the habit from being done during the day rather than at night.
First of all, the child must be willing to quit the habit.
You can try the following;
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You can encourage and encourage the child to quit the habit. You can motivate your child by preparing daily schedules and rewarding him/her for habits that become less repetitive day by day.
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You should talk to him about not sucking his thumb, and when you see that he is making an effort, you should congratulate him and praise him.
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You should definitely avoid putting pressure, ridiculing, punishing and statements that will embarrass him!!!
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Reminding or physical You can wrap your finger with a plaster or bandage as a barrier. You can put a glove on the hand where the finger is sucked while sleeping. Or you can apply a nail polish that will make him experience a bitter taste when he tries to suck his thumb.
What can the Dentist / Orthodontist do?
The orthodontist can give advice and practices regarding quitting the thumb sucking habit. If necessary, a habit-breaking appliance can be applied.
What happens when the habit is stopped?
If the thumb sucking habit can be prevented until the age of 7, the deteriorated teeth and jaw structure in this process. It can be corrected with normal growth and development.
If the habit continues after the age of 7, the deteriorations may become permanent and lose the chance of spontaneous recovery. In order to correct the problem, it will be necessary to bring the teeth and jaws to appropriate positions with intraoral/extraoral functional appliances and bracket applications in the ongoing process.
It is not possible to start orthodontic treatment without completely quitting the habit. Continuing bad habits may cause teeth to be repaired after orthodontic treatment. It will cause deterioration of blood.
Does the pacifier habit have the same effect as the thumb sucking habit?
The use of pacifiers can cause the movement of milk teeth. However, until the age of 7, when permanent teeth begin to appear in the mouth, the habit of using a pacifier creates smaller problems than the habit of thumb sucking. The habit of using a pacifier is less common in society than the habit of thumb sucking and can be treated much more easily. Continued use of pacifiers after the age of 7 causes orthodontic problems.
Pacifiers used during infancy and when milk teeth are in the mouth should definitely be consumed with sugar, jam, honey, so that they do not become addictive and do not cause tooth decay. It should not be used with sweeteners such as.
REMINDER
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All habits need to be stopped the longer they last. It is difficult.
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