Yes, you read it right, oral habits are considered as a part
of normal development of a child. Oral habits in children are completely normal
forms of self-soothing and exploration of the environment. Oral habits until 3
years of age are considered normal. Oral habits that are prevalent well beyond
the normal age frequently result in facial deformity and malocclusions.
We all have habits: things we do every day often without
consciously thinking. Some of them are good but not all of them. That’s why
it’s important to prevent your child from developing harmful habits. Pacifier
sucking, followed by thumb/finger sucking are the most common harmful habits in
childhood. Childhood is the mirror which reflects the propensities of
adulthood.
Trident of factors, like duration of the habit per day,
degree and intensity of habit are responsible for any habit to produce
detrimental and lasting effects. There are various reasons for developing thumb
sucking habit, significant relationship exists between duration and intensity
of thumb sucking and the amount of time spent in feeding sessions.
Thumb and
finger sucking are believed to cause a number of changes in the dental arch and
the supporting structures. Some of the effects of thumb sucking are:
Forward position of the upper and lower front teeth.
Increased horizontal gap between the upper and lower front
teeth leading to increase over jet of teeth.
Increased vertical gap between the upper and lower front
teeth leading to open bite.
Development of tongue thrusting habit, secondary to thumb
sucking due to open bite.
Narrow dental arches
Smaller upper lip
Soft tissue lesion on the thumb/Deformation of the thumb
Short finger nail
Increased risk of trauma to upper front teeth, to
psychological health, speech defect (Especially lisping), and middle ear
infection and enlarged tonsils.
If the child chooses this habit in the first year of his or
her life, the parents should move away his or her thumb smoothly and attract
the child’s attention to other things such as toys. After the second year of
age, thumb sucking will decrease and will be appeared just in child’s bed or
when he/she is tired. Some of the children who do not stop this habit, will
give it up when their permanent teeth erupt, but there is a tendency for
continuing the thumb sucking habit even until adult life.
The 5 steps
are…..
Direct interview with child if he/she is mature enough to
understand
Encouragement: This can give the child more pride and
self-confidence
Reward system: There is more involvement of the child
Reminder therapy which includes schemical and mechanical
approach
Orthodontic appliance
Initially awareness of the habit: the extent, the
consequences and the benefit of cessation of the habit has to be explained to
the child. Dental changes due to thumb and finger sucking do not need any
treatment if the habit stopped before the 5 years of age and as soon as giving
up the habit, dental changes will be corrected spontaneously. The success of
any habit interception procedure largely depends upon the child’s co-operation
and willingness to be helped to discontinue his/her thumb sucking habit. Thus
the parents and the dentist should seek to motivate the child, and not to
frighten and scold the child. Use of chemical approach is an age old method and
it has shown to be less effective. Placing bitter tasting or foul smelling
preparation on the thumb that is sucked can make the habit distasteful.
The use of mechanical aids are basically reminding appliances
that assist the child who is willing to quit the habit but is not able to do so
as the habit has entered the subconscious level. These appliances usually
consist of a frame work placed palatal to the upper front teeth. The frame is
placed exactly where the child places the thumb. Its raised rigid design keeps
the thumb from laying snugly against the palate. The appliance is either
removable or fixed. Other aids that can be used to intercept the habit include
bandaging the thumb, bandaging of the elbow, wearing long sleeve sleeping gown.
Once the habit affects the permanent teeth the damage is irreversible, which
requires orthodontic intervention.
In today’s highly stressed environment, school/college going
kids are subjected to various kinds of pressure/stress in different forms. Oral
habit can be a form of distressing. Parents should play the role of friend,
emotional support and a guide to the child rather than shamming or nagging
them. If the habit is causing a dental problem, it is the privilege and
responsibility of the dentists nearby to work with the child and parents toward a
resolution of the problem.
Source: http://bit.ly/2obCxRp
