The Evolution Of Your Child’s Chewing

Chewing is excellent for the health of mouths both young and old. Here’s an article about great foods to chew according to the American Dental Association. Chewing activates your saliva production. Saliva washes harmful acids and food particles from your teeth. Chewing is good for you, and can even be an exercise for your jaw and teeth!Babies chew on items. Around the age of 3 months your baby may be teething, however they typically begin teething between 4 and 7 months. They may be chewing on hands or anything they can get their hands on to feel a bit of relief. Another possibility is that they may just be exploring items orally as well. This is a normal part of development.Toddlers chew things for a variety of reasons. Sometime they are in a habit of chewing or being orally fixated. Chewing may even be a way that your child has found that helps with focus. Some children chew to relieve tension, frustration or other negative feelings they may have. If your child has pent up energy, sometimes they may attempt to relieve some of that through exercising their jaw through chewing. Most of these chewing habits are involuntary, and your child is not even aware that they are doing it.School children may continue with their chewing habits, or even develop new ones. Children who may struggle with focus at school may begin chewing on a pencil. Nervous children may resort to chewing on a pencil or other object to relieve the stress.Not all chewing is harmful. At Sweetpea Smiles we can help evaluate your child’s oral habits. When you come in for your regular checkup and cleaning, be sure to mention any oral habits, such as chewing, that your child may have. We can offer suggestions and guidance on how to help your child through their chewing habits and tendencies.Posted on behalf of Sweetpea SmilesFollow us Google+Find Us on FacebookFollow Us on Twitter