I sucked my thumb until I was 13 years old and my teeth are misaligned. My top teeth are curved upward but it’s not the typical overbite that you would expect. Do you know what I can do to have my teeth corrected? I’m ready to stop hiding my smile.
– Janie in Virginia
Janie,
Misalignment of your teeth is not too surprising having sucked your thumb for such a long period of time. An orthodontist will be able to help you straighten your teeth. Based on how you described the shape of your teeth, it sounds like they are not only out of position but they have an inaccurate inclination. Braces will correct both of your problems.
If you are the parent of a thumb sucker, the best advice is to not make too big of a deal out of the behavior. If you put too much pressure on your child and make too big of an issue of things, it may create a complex in your child and reinforce it. I really wouldn’t worry too much about it until your child is school age. There is no long-term, permanent damage that is done before the age of seven. This is because that is when a child typically loses their baby teeth. If you play it cool, when your child begins going to school they may experience peer pressure from their classmates and friends to stop the behavior.
The reason Janice’s teeth suffered from thumb sucking is due to the fact that she sucked her thumb until she was 13 years old. This means her permanent teeth had fully come in. If your child is over the age of seven and not showing signs of quitting, then you may need to step in. Be sure to use positive reinforcement versus causing shame or embarrassment. Again, you don’t want to create an emotional complex in your child or your plan could backfire. You will have the most success if the child wants to quit. Although, there are aids that you can find at the drug store to help break the habit. The products are bitter to the taste and can be painted on the thumb causing an unpleasant reminder of the habit. Again, be encouraging in your approach.
This post is sponsored by Tulsa dentist Region Dental.
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