Thumb, pacifier or tongue sucking : should we intervene ?
Newborns and then infants have an innate, instinctive need to suckle. The sucking reflex is physiological and already present before birth. It is essential for the development of the small child.
The recommended age to break this habit is around 2/3 years old. The child then develops his areas of interest and investigation. He walks, expresses himself, has contact with other children, goes to school.
Until 4 or 5 years old, it can be allowed to suck his thumb. Beyond that age, it is advisable to start talking about it with the child.
Some key elements to accompany him/her:
- Choose a favourable period by avoiding times of family changes.
- Allow for a period of preparation and information : no abrupt prohibition.
- Present the cessation of sucking as a breakthrough, a "promotion". Projecting the child into the future.
- Substitute another pleasure to the one of sucking his thumb (read him a story...).
- Be vigilant when he sucks his thumb because he is idle, or if you notice an automatic link (TV/thumb...).
- Encouraging efforts and celebrating successes.
Impact of thumb sucking on the buccal-dental unit
Prolonged thumb sucking can have a number of consequences on the development of the jaw and teeth, as well as on functions such as swallowing, speech...
The sucking reflex is physiological and already present before birth. It is essential for the development of the small child.
However, sucking with the thumb, the teat or prolonged use of the bottle does not go hand in hand with good dental development.
Persistent sucking causes what is known as infantile swallowing to persist : the tongue adopts an incorrect position, too low, at rest as when swallowing saliva (2000 times a day on average). It is interposed forwards between the upper and lower teeth, or pushes on the incisors instead of rising to rest on the palate to exert the lateral pressure necessary for the transverse development of the jaws.
The mandible (lower jaw) is then underdeveloped, as is the upper jaw. The upper teeth are projected forward and the lower lip tends to be positioned between the two dental arches giving the child a particular physiognomy (rabbit teeth).
As you can see, the intense sucking leads to an imbalance of muscular forces.
However, it is the balance of muscular forces in the oral area (lips and tongue) that allows the balanced evolution of the jaws and a good positioning of the teeth.
Thumb, pacifier or tongue sucking : should we intervene ?
Newborns and then infants have an innate, instinctive need to suckle. The sucking reflex is physiological and already present before birth. It is essential for the development of the small child.
The recommended age to break this habit is around 2/3 years old. The child then develops his areas of interest and investigation. He walks, expresses himself, has contact with other children, goes to school.
Until 4 or 5 years old, it can be allowed to suck his thumb. Beyond that age, it is advisable to start talking about it with the child.
Some key elements to accompany him/her:
- Choose a favourable period by avoiding times of family changes.
- Allow for a period of preparation and information : no abrupt prohibition.
- Present the cessation of sucking as a breakthrough, a "promotion". Projecting the child into the future.
- Substitute another pleasure to the one of sucking his thumb (read him a story...).
- Be vigilant when he sucks his thumb because he is idle, or if you notice an automatic link (TV/thumb...).
- Encouraging efforts and celebrating successes.
Impact of thumb sucking on the buccal-dental unit
Prolonged thumb sucking can have a number of consequences on the development of the jaw and teeth, as well as on functions such as swallowing, speech...
The sucking reflex is physiological and already present before birth. It is essential for the development of the small child.
However, sucking with the thumb, the teat or prolonged use of the bottle does not go hand in hand with good dental development.
Persistent sucking causes what is known as infantile swallowing to persist : the tongue adopts an incorrect position, too low, at rest as when swallowing saliva (2000 times a day on average). It is interposed forwards between the upper and lower teeth, or pushes on the incisors instead of rising to rest on the palate to exert the lateral pressure necessary for the transverse development of the jaws.
The mandible (lower jaw) is then underdeveloped, as is the upper jaw. The upper teeth are projected forward and the lower lip tends to be positioned between the two dental arches giving the child a particular physiognomy (rabbit teeth).
As you can see, the intense sucking leads to an imbalance of muscular forces.
However, it is the balance of muscular forces in the oral area (lips and tongue) that allows the balanced evolution of the jaws and a good positioning of the teeth.
