Myth: Thumb Sucking As A Child Causes Buck Teeth
Can thumb sucking as a child cause buck teeth? Many believe this is true, but it really isn’t. Some parents freak out over their child sucking their thumb and might even be against them using a pacifier after the age of 2. All in an effort to avoid the buck teeth problem. Yet dental experts claim that sucking your thumb or using a pacifier will not make a child more or less likely to develop buck teeth. At least, if that child is under 5 years old. After the age of 5, the shape of a child’s mouth and palate can change, even affecting the upper and lower jaw relationship. This can cause upper teeth to protrude and become more prominent. This could also cause an “open bite,” which leaves a gap in the middle front teeth. However, none of this is a problem before the age of 5.