7yo thumb sucking causing wobbly teeth? Is this common?

[BretonStripe]

7.5yo has sucked his thumb forever. We have tried discouraging it, telling him he'll ruin his teeth. He mostly just does it when he's tired or poorly now.

He had a dental check up in the week and he noticed that the two permanent adult teeth ds has at the front in the middle of his lower jaw/bottom are wobbly. Has asked to see him in three months instead of six, and now I'm worried (probably being silly) that he's at risk of losing his permanent adult teeth! Dentist said the only thing he could think of that would cause it would be the thumb sucking?

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it common? Looking for some reassurance please, if possible...

Bump.

No but both my two thumb sucked and we painted that absolutely vile stuff on their thumbs and they stopped overnight. We were lucky to catch them before their adult teeth came through properly. Did the dentist say that if he stopped, it would sort itself out? Either way, I think that would be my next step.

It won't cause his teeth to fall out but it will cause them to grow through tilted inwards if it is too much. The only way to correct this is with braces. It can go either way though. I was a thumb sucker up until around 8 and my teeth are perfect. I know someone who continued long after that and all their teeth are tilted inwards. Now would be a good time to try and faze it out.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Our dentist was a bit puzzled as to why his adult teeth were wobbly, and could only assume it was the thumb sucking.

Which horrible stuff to paint on is the best? Off to do some research (and already feeling bad about putting it on!).

My dh had to wear one of those things at night to bring his jaw forward too, tho he was never a thumb sucker.

I'm hoping that both of ds's top front teeth fall out at the same time, so that sucking won't be the same and it'll break the habit?! The dentist said that you can only get braces on the nhs in the most severe cases these days due to budget cuts.

I'll persevere with reminding him not to do it, and buy some of the yucky nail paint.

My 4yo sucks her thumb a lot - when’s she’s tired, as a comfort etc and in an effort to get her to stop before school we bought some thumbsies thumbsie.co.uk

We haven’t quite cracked it yet but I do think they are breaking the habit. I do still catch her with her thumb in her mouth if she’s tired and we’ve forgotten to put the thumbsies on but we’ll keep going before I resort to the horrible paint!

Good luck.

@mashpot thank you. I had looked at those before, but think my child would just take it off?! I guess it's all in the approach. They seem quite expensive too? But I could just buy one @ £11.15 inc p&p and see how he goes.

@boopsy sorry to hear about your poor friend!! Reassuring to know the teeth tightened back up again. Just had a quick Google of the blue grass dental device, looks...interesting! Are you in the UK or US?

DD has always been a thumb sucker. We got her to break the habit with a chart and the promise of whatever she wanted from the toy shop (within reason). We did break that habit at about 5 but she's 7 and I notice she is doing it in the car and at bed times as well. Sometimes she puts gloves on for bed to try and stop.herself. I'd do that over paying £10 for a thumb guard.

Her teeth are wrecked though. Dentist has already said she will be having a brace at 12. Doesn't help that she's lost 9 teeth and there isn't enough room in her jaw for the adult teeth so they are growing all over the place.