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Your Children's Dentist - Thumb Sucking

A Most Common Habit: Thumb Sucking

What's the most common thing nearly half of American toddlers do when they're teething and tired, relaxing, sleeping or being scolded? They suck their thumbs!

Thumb-sucking is the earliest and most common habit among children. It's nothing for parents to worry about — unless the habit persists. Only after age four does thumb-sucking threaten to damage children's teeth.

Some thumb-suckers simply rest the thumb in the mouth, sucking only at certain times. Others work at the habit, and can displace teeth severely. If, when you remove the thumb from your child's mouth you hear a "popping," it signals a great deal of pressure on the teeth that may cause an overbite or underbite. If the child is over four, you may want to discuss the habit with an orthodontist.

To help break a child of thumb-sucking, parents should;

• Avoid punishing the child
• Provide play materials to occupy the child's hands
• Keep supervision to a minimum
• Keep the home environment happy

One of the worst approaches is parental pressure — it can have a negative effect. On the other hand, peer pressure often works well, encouraging the child to imitate "grown-up" behavior.

Sometimes an orthodontic appliance can prevent or replace a thumb-sucking habit. Once a child becomes accustomed to the appliance, he or see may no longer interested in thumb-sucking.

The first step is to determine when and why a child is thumb-sucking. Your family or pediatric dentist has had lots of experience. Give them a call — they may be able to help.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Infant Pediatric Dental Care

One question many pediatric dentists are asked most frequently is, "At what age should I bring my child in for his/her first dental checkup?" Most dentists will say between two and four years of age, because that's what they're taught in dental school. The reason dentists are taught this answer is because children have finished teething by that time and are usually more cooperative.

The only problem with this reasoning is that by age two, according to American Dental Association statistics, 30% of all children in America have a cavity or cavities! As a result, a child's first experience at the family dentist's office is often a numb lip, a rubber dam, and a filling — not the most pleasant first experience!

So, at what age should your child receive his first pediatric dental examination? At birth!

That's right — but in many pediatric and family dentistry offices they aren't just "tooth doctors." They believe in cavity prevention. And prevention starts at birth.

Some pediatric dentists would like you to bring in your baby so that they can tell you about fluorides, pacifiers, finger habits, nutrition, and oral hygiene.

There may be no charge for this appointment or for the subsequent visits they call "play" appointments. These appointments are scheduled at 1 year, 1-1/2 years, and at 2 years of age. By that time, many children may be receiving cleanings, fluoride treatments, and protective sealants.

If the child isn't ready for these treatments, they can continue "play" appointments until he is ready.

Pediatric dental care professionals never want to enforce or insist that a child have dental work unless he is ready. They want pediatric and family dentistry to be a fun and enjoyable experience for children so that they will look forward to their visits twice a year.

As a result of this approach to prevention, 95% of those children who make regular continuing care visits are cavity-free, as are 85% of adult patients who follow a similar regime. Yes, prevention starts at birth, and your family dentist's goal remains a commitment to preventive care.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.