3 Child Habits A Dentist Will Want Your Kid To Stop Doing
There will come a day where your kid needs to start visiting the dentist to have routine examinations and cleanings. However, you may be in for a surprise to learn that your child has developed some bad habits that affect their oral health. Here are three of those habits that your dentist will want your kid to stop doing.
Sucking On Their Thumb
It can be very challenging to get a young child to stop sucking their thumb. However, this habit can cause a lot of damage to their teeth if they do not put an end to it. Your dentist will go into the negative effects of thumb sucking and show you how it is affecting their teeth.
For example, they can use an x-ray to show you the damage that has already been caused to their baby teeth. They may have signs of developing an overbite, which can ultimately impact how their jaw clenches together and how they talk. Hearing a warning from a dentist may be more impactful for your child than hearing it from you. Especially if it is accompanied by images of what can happen if they do not stop.
Using A Pacifier
If your child is not sucking their thumb, it still may be due to them not giving up their pacifier. Unfortunately, the problem with a pacifier is that it can cause their teeth to wear down over time since it is used so frequently. Even though they still have their baby teeth, having worn down teeth is not good for their development. Your child can also develop the same problem that they would have by thumb sucking, so it is not good to replace one bad habit for the other.
Chewing Random Objects
As you're probably aware, kids will put almost anything in their mouth if you let them. You may not be aware of the damage that it is causing to their teeth. There is a serious risk of a child cracking or chipping a tooth due to chewing on an object that is not designed for their mouth. It is one thing to give a child a specific object to use while they are teething, but to let them continue with that habit is not good. If your child has damaged one of their teeth due to what they are chewing on, the dentist can show you the damage that was caused by an x-ray. Contact a pediatric dentistry near you to learn more.