Depending on the age of
the child is the determinate if thumb sucking will cause development of a
dental problem. If the child is still under the age of
four and their teeth are still straight and not crowded, thumb-sucking
may not create a dental problem. It is important that the child stops sucking
their beyond this point; if not, the new teeth and contours of the jawbones may be
affected. Bone contours are difficult to correct.
Pacifier
vs Thumb-Sucking:
Sucking a pacifier, as
opposed to the child sucking their thumb, is actually less
safe.
Both habits, sucking one's
thumb or a pacifier, will often have an effect
on the position of the front teeth. Pacifiers can actually have a greater
effect than the thumb because it is a pliable object that will deform upon
pressure and try to return to its natural shape. As a result, it is
actually exerting an active force against the teeth so that distortion of
the normal tooth position will often be greater than with a thumb habit.
While there are some controversies surrounding the advisability of taking
a pacifier away from a child, from a purely dental standpoint, it
is clearly the appropriate thing to do.
Negotiating with the child is not an
effective way to bring the habit to a close. The most successful way to
end the habit is by a unilateral parental decision not to make the
pacifier available. This might take the form of simply "making it
disappear," or informing (not discussing) the child that the
pacifier is going away.
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Cleaning
An Infant's Teeth:
As soon as the first tooth erupts into
the child's mouth, you need to begin practicing good dental hygiene for
the infant. When infants are young, you may find that a damp washcloth, a
Q-Tip, or a strip of gauze are the easiest tools for tooth-cleaning.
A soft
bristled infant toothbrush will also work well as the child gets older and is
more tolerant of the procedure.
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Child Has A Toothache:
Young children who complain of a toothache in a baby tooth often have a
foreign object (such as a particle of food) lodged between the teeth.
Even
abscessed teeth are rarely cause for pain in baby teeth. The first thing
to do is to have the child identify the exact location of the pain by
having the child touch the tooth that is hurting with a single finger. This will
focus your attention on the offending area. Next, see if flossing between
the teeth in that area identified will dislodge any debris. Often this
will provide immediate relief. If not, basic pain medications, such as
Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or other common children's pain relievers will be
helpful. Ultimately, these situations are best evaluated and treated by
your Dentist.
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