Nickles Dental Blog

The Effects of Thumb Sucking and Pacifiers – updated 2018 August 15, 2018 It’s common for babies and children to suck on their thumbs, fingers, or a pacifier. This is a typical practice because it helps children and babies to feel comforted and is a natural reflex for them. However, as natural as this reflex may be for babies and children, it can cause damage to their teeth and mouths if it is carried on for too long. Why Thumb-Sucking? Babies are born with a natural need or urge to suck on something.  This instinct is easily apparent as babies explore the world and begin putting everything they can into their mouths. The urge decreases after about 6 months, but lots of babies keep sucking their thumbs or fingers to calm themselves when they’re falling asleep. As they get older, they will also sometimes suck their thumbs when they feel hungry, restless, scared, or tired. Children tend to naturally wean themselves at around age 3, but if the sucking continues pas

5 Long-Term Effects of Avoiding Dental Care Tooth Decay Not giving your mouth proper care will attract harmful bacteria to your teeth and gums, which can cause massive damage. Studies show that bacteria can survive, overgrow, and become unbalanced in one’s mouth and can put the enamel in significant danger. Once the enamel is torn up, there is no other way to replace it. Too much tooth decay can cause a huge hole in a tooth that cannot be repaired by fillings alone, leaving the tooth vulnerable to cavities. Gum Disease Bacteria and plaque often gather around the gum line and can cause irritation to both a tooth’s root and the gums. Gum disease can also cause serious damage, including loose teeth, the appearance of elongated teeth, and bleeding gums. Oral Cancer & Teeth Staining There are various risk factors that can cause oral cancer such as smoking, alcohol, and exposure to UV light. Research indicates that there are approximately 50,000 Amer