All bad habits start slowly and gradually and before you know you have the habit, the habit has you. Hence it is important to identify those bad habits at an early stage. We have listed some of the habits your kid may pick up during the early stages of life and how to treat them.
Thumb sucking:
It is normal during first one and half years of life. If it persists beyond pre-school, it is abnormal.
The habit develops when there is a sense of insecurity, neglect or during teething.
How to find?
Thumb appears reddened, chapped with short nail.
How to prevent?
• feed whenever your baby is hungry
• feed in natural way (breast feeding)
• the habit should be nipped at the bud
How to stop the habit?
Nagging, scolding/ frightening can cause negativism and resort to the habit. You can try applying asafoetida, pepper or castor oil to the thumb, wrap the finger with adhesive tapes or thumb guard.
If these methods did not work, you can visit a dentist to get a customised thumb guard or appliances that can prevent your baby from placing the finger in their mouth.
Tongue thrusting:
Young children may move their tongue tip between the teeth to meet the lower lip during swallowing and speech. This can be due to gaps between their teeth, any injury or on a soft diet for longer time.
Often self corrects by 8-9 years of age.
Mouth breathing:
When there is any abnormality in the development of nose, shorter upper lip, any infection or injury in the nose or enlarged tonsils, your child may respire through mouth instead of nose.
How to find?
If your child breathes through mouth, he/she cannot hold water in their mouth for a long time.
Place a piece of cotton below your child's nose. It deflects only if your child breathes through nose otherwise it remains undisturbed.
How to stop the habit?
First step is to find the underlying cause and eliminate it.
If it persists even after that, your dentist can fabricate an appliance that helps to stop the habit.
Bruxism:
It is the habit of grinding of teeth when not chewing or swallowing.
It usually occurs in mentally retarded individuals. Other reasons include aggression, magnesium deficiency and stomach parasites.
How to find?
Pain in cheek muscle and mouth joint, headache, teeth pain and sensitivity.
How to treat?
If it is due to underlying aggression or depression, psychological counselling can help stop the habit.
Night guard and physiotherapy can help to alleviate the pain caused by it.
Lip biting:
Due to emotional stress or irregularly placed teeth, you may often notice your child biting his/her lower lip.
It is not self-correcting and becomes more deleterious with age.
How to find?
• Protrusion of upper front teeth
• Reddened and chapped lip
Treatment:
If it is due to mal-alignment, correcting it can stop the habit.
Otherwise an appliance can be of use.
Oral health is essential for the quality of your life. So it is always better to stop the habits at an early stage rather treating the consequences.
Dentistry is not costly, negligence is!
Follow us on
Thumb sucking:
It is normal during first one and half years of life. If it persists beyond pre-school, it is abnormal.
The habit develops when there is a sense of insecurity, neglect or during teething.
 |
| If the habit persists for a long time, then your child's teeth may look like this. |
Thumb appears reddened, chapped with short nail.
How to prevent?
• feed whenever your baby is hungry
• feed in natural way (breast feeding)
• the habit should be nipped at the bud
How to stop the habit?
Nagging, scolding/ frightening can cause negativism and resort to the habit. You can try applying asafoetida, pepper or castor oil to the thumb, wrap the finger with adhesive tapes or thumb guard.
Tongue thrusting:
Often self corrects by 8-9 years of age.
Mouth breathing:
When there is any abnormality in the development of nose, shorter upper lip, any infection or injury in the nose or enlarged tonsils, your child may respire through mouth instead of nose.
If your child breathes through mouth, he/she cannot hold water in their mouth for a long time.
Place a piece of cotton below your child's nose. It deflects only if your child breathes through nose otherwise it remains undisturbed.
How to stop the habit?
First step is to find the underlying cause and eliminate it.
Bruxism:
It is the habit of grinding of teeth when not chewing or swallowing.
Pain in cheek muscle and mouth joint, headache, teeth pain and sensitivity.
How to treat?
If it is due to underlying aggression or depression, psychological counselling can help stop the habit.
Lip biting:
Due to emotional stress or irregularly placed teeth, you may often notice your child biting his/her lower lip.
How to find?
• Protrusion of upper front teeth
• Reddened and chapped lip
Treatment:
If it is due to mal-alignment, correcting it can stop the habit.
Otherwise an appliance can be of use.
Oral health is essential for the quality of your life. So it is always better to stop the habits at an early stage rather treating the consequences.
Dentistry is not costly, negligence is!
Follow us on
Enlightening....
ReplyDeleteThank you:)
Delete