Heintz Orthodontics

Do you recognize...

This type of Bite?

 

 If you answered "yes" then you or someone you know might be a 

 

THUMB-SUCKER!!!

 

Infants and toddlers are generally prone to thumb-sucking because, due to breastfeeding or bottle feeding, the sucking motion elicits a feeling of pleasure, comfort and warmth.  So, it is instinctive.  Most children learn to stop sucking their thumbs on their own usually by age 2-4.  But, when it becomes a habit and extends past that, it can severely effect your dentition (or type, number, and arrangement of a set of teeth). 

 

Because children are still developing, their jaws and palates are very soft and flexible.  The constant pressure of thumbs or fingers in their mouths can easily deform the teeth and/or jaws. 

It is EXTREMELY important to stop the habit early in order to avoid open bite, horrible tooth alignment, speech difficulties, and more rigorous orthodontic treatment.  In addition to these problems, thumb-sucking will train certain mouth muscles to be stronger than others which can lead to swallowing difficulties. 

 

Sometimes, the habit can be stopped on your own at home.  However,  It is not an easy thing to fix.  But, here are some tips or remedies to try at home.  Or, if it proves to be a job that cannot be fixed by home remedies, there is an orthodontic appliance that is called a "habit appliance."  It generally looks something like this:

 

 

 If you or someone you know has a thumb-sucking habit and you feel like you have tried everything and nothing works, come see us today about a habit appliance.  We have cured even the worst of thumb-suckers... so we can help!!!