My child sucks his/her thumb or finger. What effect can it have on the bite, and when should I work on stopping the habit?
Most children stop sucking their fingers between the ages of three to five. Sucking of a finger can have a significant effect on the bite. Flaring of the upper front teeth producing a protrusion, and backward positioning of the lower front teeth are common. Also a crossbite or narrowing of the upper jaw can occur producing an openbite, where the front teeth don’t touch. The amount of these bite effects depend on the frequency, how long the child does it each time, and intensity of the finger habit. If your child continues this habit past the time of the eruption of the first permanent tooth. Then it can have a permanent effect on the adult bite. The habit should be stopped before these teeth come in. From a preventive point of view, infants should be given pacifiers, as they will do much less harm than finger habits, and most children will discontinue their use earlier. [back to top] • I have heard that a nursing bootle can cause cavities on toddlers, at what age should I take my child
Most children stop sucking their fingers between the ages of three to five. Sucking of a finger can have a significant effect on the bite. Flaring of the upper front teeth producing a protrusion, and backward positioning of the lower front teeth are common. Also a crossbite or narrowing of the upper jaw can occur producing an openbite, where the front teeth don’t touch. The amount of these bite effects depend on the frequency, how long the child does it each time, and intensity of the finger habit. If your child continues this habit past the time of the eruption of the first permanent tooth. Then it can have a permanent effect on the adult bite. The habit should be stopped before these teeth come in. From a preventive point of view, infants should be given pacifiers, as they will do much less harm than finger habits, and most children will discontinue their use earlier.
Most children stop sucking their fingers between the ages of three to five. Sucking of a finger can have a significant effect on the bite. Flaring of the upper front teeth producing a protrusion, and backward positioning of the lower front teeth are common. Also a cross bite or narrowing of the upper jaw can occur producing an open bite, where the front teeth don’t touch. The amount of these bite effects depend on the frequency, how long the child does it each time, and intensity of the finger habit. If your child continues this habit past the time of the eruption of the first permanent tooth, it can have a permanent effect on the adult bite. The habit should be stopped before these teeth come in. From a preventive point of view, infants should be given pacifiers, as they will do much less harm than finger habits, and most children will discontinue their use earlier.
Most children stop sucking their fingers between the ages of three to five. Sucking of a finger can have a significant effect on the bite. Flaring of the upper front teeth producing a protrusion, and backward positioning of the lower front teeth are common. Also a crossbite or narrowing of the upper jaw can occur producing an openbite, where the front teeth don’t touch. The amount of these bite effects depend on the frequency, how long the child does it each time, and intensity of the finger habit. If your child continues this habit past the time of the eruption of the first permanent tooth, then it can have a permanent effect on the adult bite. The habit should be stopped before these teeth come in. From a preventive point of view, infants should be given pacifiers, as they will do much less harm than finger habits, and most children will discontinue their use earlier.
