Oral Habits in Children: What Every Mom Should Know
When it comes to childhood oral habits, certain repetitive behaviors like thumb sucking, pacifier use (beyond infancy), nail biting, lip sucking or biting, chewing on non-food items, and mouth breathing may seem harmless at first. However, these habits can actually have a significant impact on your child’s facial development, dental health, and overall well-being.
Why Do Oral Habits in Children Matter?
Oral habits that interfere with the mouth being closed at rest can affect not only facial development but also how children chew, swallow, and breathe. When the tongue isn’t naturally suctioned to the roof of the mouth, it can alter how a child’s facial muscles, bones, and teeth develop. This positioning, known as poor oral rest posture, may lead to an array of anatomical symptoms, such as:
- Anterior open bite: Where the top and bottom front teeth don’t touch
- High palate: A narrow, high-arched roof of the mouth
- Overbite: Misalignment of the upper and lower front teeth
- Open mouth posture: Lips part and the tongue rests low on the mouth floor
Each of these symptoms can indicate the presence of an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD), which can contribute to atypical chewing and swallowing, blocked nasal passages, dental misalignment, and even speech difficulties. For instance, the impact on jaw alignment can lead to discomfort as the child grows, potentially requiring orthodontic intervention in the future. Early detection of these habits and their effects is crucial, as it can significantly reduce the need for extensive treatment later in life.
How Oral Rest Posture Impacts Health
The position of the tongue and lips at rest has a ripple effect across multiple areas of a child’s health and development. For example:
- Dental Health: A low resting tongue posture can lead to dental crowding, overbite, or a high palate. A mouth that is open at rest may also cause dry mouth, which increases the risk of tooth decay.
- Airway Space: When the tongue falls back in the mouth during sleep, it can obstruct the airway, potentially causing snoring, frequent waking, poor-quality sleep, and symptoms like dark circles under the eyes. A narrow palate can further restrict the airway, limiting oxygen flow.
- Eating and Swallowing: Weak tongue posture and inefficient chewing can lead to picky eating, a preference for soft foods, or even coughing while eating or drinking.
- Speech Development: Poor tongue control can make it difficult for a child to produce certain sounds correctly, leading to speech errors. Tongue thrust, where the tongue pushes against or between the teeth during swallowing or speaking, can also impact speech clarity.
How Mouth Breathing Contributes to Oral Health Issues
In addition to the other oral habits, mouth breathing, once overlooked, is now gaining more recognition as a habit that can contribute to certain health concerns if left unaddressed. It can increase the risk of cavities and gum disease by leading to dry mouth, which reduces the protective benefits of saliva. Saliva plays a vital role in washing away bacteria and buffering acids, so when its production is reduced, enamel becomes more vulnerable to decay. Furthermore, mouth breathing may influence facial growth, potentially contributing to a longer face shape, narrow jaws, and a high-arched palate. Research has also shown that mouth breathing may impact overall physical development by limiting oxygen intake, which, in turn, can affect cognitive function, mood, and concentration. For more information on mouth breathing and its underlying causes, see our blog here.
The Role of Sippy Cups
While we’re discussing children’s oral habits, it’s also helpful to highlight an often overlooked yet seemingly benign habit that parents commonly introduce in sippy cups. Many parents turn to sippy cups as a step between bottles and regular cups, but prolonged use of traditional spouted cups can negatively impact oral development. Sippy cups can encourage a “tongue thrust” pattern, as the hard spout keeps the tongue on the floor of the mouth rather than allowing it to elevate and make contact with the roof of the mouth. This can delay the development of a “mature” swallowing pattern and contribute to mouth breathing, tongue thrust, and even speech issues like lisps.
What is Myofunctional Therapy? Finding the Right Support
To address these habits and improve oral function, myofunctional therapy (or oral motor therapy for young children) focuses on retraining the muscles of the mouth and establishing healthy oral rest posture. The goals of therapy include:
- Correct oral rest posture: Lips together and tongue resting against the palate
- Nasal breathing: Shifting from mouth breathing to nose breathing
- Efficient chewing and swallowing patterns
But keep in mind these habits are merely symptoms of other underlying root factors that have helped to create the above oral habits.
The most critical period for orofacial development is before age 5, so addressing these issues early is ideal. A myofunctional-trained Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), dentist, or dental hygienist can guide you through exercises to strengthen the oral muscles and establish new, healthy patterns.
Inside My Transforming Oral Care Naturally Course
I cover why the above oral habits occur and develop in children and offer my experience working with many clients as well as in a clinical hospital setting as a feeding specialist. I will teach parents how to identify the root cause for optimal results as we work to correct facial development and structure, crooked teeth, and other potential issues that could arise down the road.
While I’m not a dentist, I’ve partnered with leading biological and holistic dental experts to provide a well-rounded approach. This unique course blends nutrition, root cause solutions, holistic practices, and professional perspectives, giving you everything you need for comprehensive oral care. I have worked with hundreds of parents over the years to help them successfully reverse their children’s cavities.
You’ll gain access to Transforming Oral Care Naturally, a self-guided program that dives into the root causes behind these concerns. Partnering with leading biological and holistic dental experts, this course blends nutrition, holistic practices, and expert insights to provide a well-rounded approach to oral health. Plus, you’ll discover transformative product recommendations to support lifelong oral wellness.
