Many children suck their thumbs and other fingers as a reflex. However, in some cases, thumb sucking can become a habit that provides your child with comfort.
Approximately 10% of all children over the ages of two or three will continue to suck their thumb. While many children eventually stop sucking their thumb on their own, the older they get the more thumb sucking can become a problem to their health.
Consider the following reasons why thumb sucking remedies may be in your best interest if your child is still sucking their thumb over the age of three or four.
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- Thumb sucking increases exposure to germs
A recent study on thumb sucking and nail biting in children reports that finger sucking exposes young children to a greater number of microbes. Exposure to microbes can help your child develop immunity to allergies. However, once your child becomes older and begins to go to school they can become exposed to more harmful bacteria and germs that can make them sick.
- Thumb sucking increases exposure to germs
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- Thumb sucking deters speech development
It may seem easy for your child to remove their thumb from their mouths if they have something to say. However, in many cases, children who have a habit of sucking their thumb will either not speak at all or will mispronounce the words they say because they have their thumb in their mouth. This can cause speech difficulties and communication problems later in life.
- Thumb sucking deters speech development
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- Thumb sucking can damage the palate
One of the most well-known problems that can come from thumb sucking is teeth irregularities. Irregularities of the teeth and palate can form when your child routinely sucks their thumb or finger while their teeth are quickly developing.
- Thumb sucking can damage the palate
- Thumb sucking can damage the fingernail
It isn’t only dental health that can suffer from regular thumb sucking. A finger guard for kids may be a good idea to prevent thumb sucking is because the regular pressure of your child’s mouth can cause damage to the fingernail. This may result in malformation of the nail or even chronic infection.
A finger guard for kids is a great and gentle way to stop thumb sucking. For more information on thumb sucking prevention and the T Guard finger guard, contact T Guard today.
