Thumb sucking preschooler.... advice?

[ThreeRingCircus]

DD2 is almost 3 and has sucked her thumb since she was a baby. Up until now we've been quite relaxed about it as it comforts her but we saw the dentist on Friday and the dentist said she's developing an overbite and we need to get her to stop sucking her thumb sooner rather than later as it's affecting her teeth.

The only problem is....how? She's not really old enough to do it through bribing her with a new toy or to persuade her rationally. I've thought about painting that horrible tasting stuff on her nails but before I buy some I'd really like advice from anyone who has been through similar. DH sucked his thumb for years.....until he was a teenager so is quite relaxed about it and about her potentially needing braces when she's older. I see his point but would rather she stopped sooner rather than later, especially if the dentist is concerned about her teeth.

What would you do/did you do in this situation?

I had that stuff painted on my thumb as a child ,I’m nearly 50 and I still suck it .
Parents were really annoyed by the fact I sucked my thumb ,so I just learned to hide it better.
Never sucked it at school ,as I wanted to fit in ..
I suppose either make it in to a battle ….or ignore…your choice .
She’s sucking it for comfort ,so clearly needs that comfort…maybe she will stop when she doesn’t need that comfort.
I’m currently waiting to be assessed for autism and adhd ,so I think my thumb sucking is actually stimmimg …I have tried to stop ,many times ,but it’s an automatic reaction,so I’m doing it ,before I thought I wanted to ..if that makes sense …or I’m sucking it ,and not realised.
Either way ,your daughter will still be fabulous,weather she sucks her thumb or not x

We tried everything including painting her nails with the horrible tasting stuff but nothing worked unfortunately. They are now 23 and living with their partner and still do it. Like the PP she naturally reduced it over the years so other children didn't see. Had braces during her teenage years as a lot of teenagers do - in fact my other child also needed braces and they never sucked their thumb. Teeth have remained in position since despite thumb sucking continuing.

I think the best you can probably do is distraction when you see it happening to minimise the damage.

Another adult thumb sucker here, I just got better at hiding it. I know I shouldn't but it's so hard to stop and doesn't hurt me or anyone.

My sibling and I both still suck our thumbs! Neither of us had an overbite. One of my kids has a massive overbite that will need a special brace to help correct in s couple of years - but he’s never sucked his thumb and it’s more that his bottom jaw hasn’t grown in line isn’t the rest of his face. I would relax about it and just let it be, as thumb sucking is a comfort thing and I personally not comfortable taking that away. A lot of kids stop themselves when they start school and I figure the ones that don’t stop need the comfort.

We tried everything, nothing worked. Managed to stop daytime habits but I'd go into his room at night and thumb would be in, I'd take it out and go back 5 minutes later and thumb was back in!

He stopped by himself naturally in the last year at primary school. But now has braces at 14.

He still used to suck his thumb with that horrible tasting stuff on. He said the taste went after a while!!

Dd sucked her thumb till 6 then just stopped.
15 and been on the waiting list for braces for an overbite the last 3 years.

My sister is 39 and still sucks hers.

I have 7 year old DD and similar conversation with her dentist when she was 3/4 years old. Her dentist though laid out very clearly that if the thumb sucking continued my DD would need extensive unpleasant dental work done. It wasn’t going to be just a brace.

At that point I stopped the thumb sucking by covering both her hands in bed in such a way she could not release them. She needed help stopping as in her sleep she couldn’t stop herself. Once she had broken the habit I stopped covering her hands.

Her teeth has now somewhat corrected themselves, as the dentist said they would given her age.

I don’t understand the people who say ‘“i sucked my thumb for decades and my teeth are fine” - that’s great but it’s certainly not a rule and thumb sucking is well known for causing big dental issues. Listen to the dentist. .

thumbguard.co.uk/product/tguard-aerothumb/ Worked for my son but does look worryingly like an instrument of torture and had to be tight enough to ensure he couldn’t wiggle his thumb out. Worked best when he was a bit older and cooperative

www.drthumb.co.uk/order.htm We tried this one first, this was the one he could wriggle out of

My DD1 stopped at 4. She hurt her thumb, so it had a plaster on it. She then decided to keep putting plasters on it so that she would stop her thumb sucking before DD2 arrived, so she didn't teach the baby to suck her thumb. Obviously that only worked because DD1 was engaged and motivated to stop, but it is possible. The unfortunate irony is that DD2 didn't suck her thumb (dummy until 6 months), but has an over bite and will need far more orthodontics than her sister.