Habits are hard to break but it’s worth the results! Thumb or digit sucking can lead to an irregular swallow pattern such as a tongue thrust, airway issues, crowded crooked teeth, cross and open bites and cosmetically it is not appealing. Habitual sucking can lead to dysfunctional muscle patterns of the face and mouth. The altered bite and tongue pattern can lead to speech issues such as a lisp or difficulty articulating sounds. Patients with speech issues will be referred to a Speech Language Pathologist if they are not already under the care of one as Speech Therapy is not in my abilities or licensure.
