It is challenging to take care of children, especially if they are extremely playful and curious about everything. They may also develop different habits that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Usually, these habits are not serious, so parents need not alarm themselves. But there are some issues that parents should keep an eye out, and one of those is with their teeth.
Most of the time, kids develop habits that may cause bite problems and may become severe when they grow up. If not prevented as early as possible, chances are you would have to visit a kids orthodontist more frequently and spend too much to fix their bite problems. However, you can prevent your children from getting bite problems by stopping them from making the following habits.
Prevent Thumbsucking Habit
You may have seen this type of habit in many children, whether in real life or movies. However, this is not a problem you should be alarmed about too much during the early stages because they will eventually grow out of it soon. Experts even say that children can continue thumbsucking before their fifth birthday.
But if they continue the thumbsucking habit after 5, it is the right time to be alarmed. It can slowly change the front teeth and palate. A good way to resolve this is to discourage the behaviour. If you do not discourage them from thumbsucking enough, you may find yourself visiting a kids orthodontist during their kindergarten days.
Pick the Right Sippy Cup
After teaching your children to drink from a glass, you need to buy them their sippy cup so that it is to transition to drinking using a glass later on. Your child will need to use the spout on the sippy cup since it is the only way for them to drink the liquid out of the spout. After a few years, they should slowly learn how to drink from a glass because the spout can lead to improper oral growth development.
They can still use the sippy cup, but make sure to limit their use to prevent any oral issues. If you have not yet introduced your kids, to drink out of a sippy cup, it would be best not to teach them to drink out of a plastic cup right away. It will take some time for them to get used to it, but it will save you expenses for oral treatments in the long run.
Limit the Use of Pacifiers
Usually, you would give a pacifier to a baby because it is one way to calm them down. That is because sucking is a natural survival instinct for them since they still cannot chew any solid foods. There are even findings that a pacifier can lower the blood pressure and heart rate of the baby.
The recommended age for a toddler to use a pacifier might range between 2-3 years. When using pacifiers becomes a habit, the child can develop oral issues. Pacifiers are well-known for contributing to overbites that are usually too late to fix when they grow older without braces or other methods that a kids orthodontist would use. You should avoid letting them use the pacifier after a certain age.
Make sure to follow these tips if you want to prevent your child from getting oral complications in the future. If you need more help with developing or fixing your child’s teeth, you should consult with a kids orthodontist right away.
