Thumb Sucking Can Damage Gums and Teeth
For many, the sight of a child sucking their thumb is the ultimate picture of innocence. But Britain’s first “thumb-sucking clinic” is promising to deter children from a habit which can damage teeth and jaws if it continues too long.
Orthodontists who say they have treated hundreds of patients with buck teeth and jaw alignment problems caused by prolonged thumb-sucking have founded a practice which aims to help break the habit, as well as repairing damage caused. Most children stop sucking fingers or thumbs between the age of three and six, when it causes no damage.
