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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

...to query £1200 for an appliance to stop a 10 yr old sucking her thumb?

53 replies

itmightwork · 30/08/2014 20:44

Just that. After an orthodontic appointment I have been recommended to spend that amount on a night-time appliance for my daughter so that her bottom jaw develops normally.

OP posts:

cece · 30/08/2014 20:46

I showed my son pictures online after googling damage caused by thumb sucking.

He cried. But he never sucked his thumb again.

Pico2 · 30/08/2014 20:48

Getting her bottom jaw to develop normally is not quite the same thing. Our dentist told us that DD had to stop by 3 to avoid permanent damage, though revised that to 5 when she hadn't stopped at 3.

BertieBotts · 30/08/2014 20:51

Hmmm. I suppose the argument is what would it cost to have it fixed later on? It does seem like a lot but compared to adult dental work that is very cheap. There might be cheaper ones, though?

I'm 26 and still suck my thumb, it hasn't affected my teeth, but my jaw is definitely misaligned and I'm having problems with it now. Sometimes it clicks and gets stuck in the mornings and it's uncomfortable and a bit scary to put it back into place again. I think (but don't know) I grind my teeth in my sleep as well which is what causes it to get stuck but I don't know what's really happening.

I would say at 10 she's past the age where she would have stopped by herself, but like this article says at the end it's a good idea to be careful because it can be linked with emotional security.

SierpinskiNumber · 30/08/2014 20:51

My dentist gave me a free ring for my sons thumb. It was a magic ring and it stopped him sucking his thumb almost immediately. He had had his thumb in his mouth practically a all the time.

On reflection though it might have been a choking hazard.

dietstartstmoz · 30/08/2014 20:52

I showed my son pictures of braces on teeth and told him he would make his teeth stick out and he would need a brace. He stopped and was age 5/6. Is she doing it in the day or just at night?

stoopstofolly · 30/08/2014 20:55

I used a £40 thumbguard on my 3 year old son- and thought that was expensive! However, it did work- stopped him sucking his thumb in under a month, and he was COMMITTED to it! Can thoroughly recommend it. He had to wear it all the time, as he sucked his thumb constantly, but if your daughter only sucks at night she could only wear it at night.....

Original poster

itmightwork · 30/08/2014 20:56

dietstarts mainly at night. I remind her during the day if I see her sucking her thumb and remove it from her mouth when I go to bed at night but it finds it's way back!

OP posts:

Original poster

itmightwork · 30/08/2014 21:01

Sierpins Your choking hazard made me laugh but it's not funny really!

OP posts:

FryOneFatManic · 30/08/2014 21:04

DD was a finger sucker, the middle fingers always in. It got to the stage where I kept gently pulling her fingers out of her mouth as if in an absent minded way. She actually had callouses on her fingers where the teeth rested.

At the same time we talked about damage to teeth, and the dentist was helpful there. Didn't take too long and peer pressure from her school friends in Reception certainly helped.

These days, at the age of 14, you'd never guess about the callouses, you can't see a thing now, and she has lovely nails that are easy to shape and paint.

RobotLover68 · 30/08/2014 21:05

I used the thumbguard too - when he was 5 - it worked but he still needs braces @ £3000 - ouch!

HappyAgainOneDay · 30/08/2014 21:06

OP, does your dentist run the company that makes the £1200 appliance available?

Original poster

itmightwork · 30/08/2014 21:08

HappyAgain No he doesn't, but I wondered the same!

OP posts:

Picturesinthefirelight · 30/08/2014 21:11

When dd was 6 I decided a thumb guard at around £40 was too expensive.

At age 8 I gave in (by then the damage to her teeth had been done) & wished I'd bought it earlier. It stopped her in just over 2 weeks.

iamdivergent · 30/08/2014 21:18

I'm also an adult thumb sucker. Tbf I still had a dummy at night until I was 8 my mum just didn't take them away and kept buying more finally stopped with the dummy once I was invited to sleepovers but just took up the thumb.

I obviously don't have it in my mouth constantly but I totally agree with the emotional aspect. I get stressed if I can't suck it really calms me; I also can't sleep if I'm not sucking.

I have a slight open bite, about 3 mm the dentist said and I think my jaw is misaligned at least slightly as it does click often. I can't afford braces, no way in hell could I ever, I hate my teeth.

nbee84 · 30/08/2014 21:24

I 2nd the thumb guard recommendation; www.thumbguard.co.uk/shop/

I looked after a little boy that was a finger sucker - day and night. We tried all sorts to discourage it but the habit was getting worse. They are attached with a band that needs to be cut off (supplied with plenty of bands) We had a few tantrums about wearing it but he quickly got used to it. He wore it constantly for 5 weeks and once we stopped the habit was broken. I (and the parents) were a bit dubious but were so impressed with the results. We only had the one as he only sucked the fingers of one hand. I saw him try out the fingers of the other hand a couple of times, but he obviously didn't like them and didn't swap hands. They do recommend 2 if your child sucks fingers/thumbs of both hands.

Hopefully with a 10yo you won't get the tantrums about wearing it. I have heard of children managing to wriggle their thumbs out of it but it takes a concious effort to do so and not something a child could do in their sleep. As your dd sucks mainly at night time then she could just wear it then. I can't imagine a 10 year old being happy about wearing during the day to school or in front of their friends.

Pico2 · 30/08/2014 21:28

DD stopped by putting a plaster over her thumb. It started when she hurt her thumb, but she was pretty motivated to stop too. It's been a month and she now can't remember which thumb she sucked. I think we've just been luck with her.

Original poster

itmightwork · 30/08/2014 21:29

Thanks for all your replies. Iam it seems such a lot of money.

OP posts:

Pico2 · 30/08/2014 21:35

Will it just stop her sucking her thumb or will it actually correct something too?

iamdivergent · 30/08/2014 21:40

If I could go back I would have tried to try a lot earlier. I am just winding a plaster over my thumb as I type this. I am determined to stop now!

iamdivergent · 30/08/2014 21:40

I wouldn't have thought it would fix anything unfortunately

Original poster

itmightwork · 30/08/2014 21:40

Pico It aims to stop thumb sucking so that her bottom jaw can grow normally. It doesn't correct anything. As I understand it, she will need braces top and bottom at a later stage but needs this now so that her top and bottom jaws grow in alignment.

OP posts:

SanityClause · 30/08/2014 21:43

When DS was about 3, DH bought a couple of model aeroplanes, and told him he could have them if he stopped sucking his thumb.

He stopped almost immediately.

Eastpoint · 30/08/2014 21:45

My dd2 didn't stop sucking her thumb because she didn't believe us (or the dentist) until she was about 10. She had an 11mm overbite & currently has a fixed appliance to correct the pointy shape she has pulled her jaw into. She will have braces once her adult teeth have come in. Is the metal thing just to stop her sucking her thumb or is it also an expander?

Pico2 · 30/08/2014 21:51

£1200 would be stupid money for something which only prevented her from sucking her thumb, particularly if it is removable, so she could take it out if she felt like it. I'd check that out as it seems possibly too late for her jaws to grow into alignment (if they aren't already) and something like Eastpoint's DD has. Though I am no expert.

FryOneFatManic · 30/08/2014 21:52

DD did eventually have to have braces for a while, but we'd got her finger sucking stopped well before any damage could be done.

In her case, her teeth and jaw have grown in the same way her dad's did. Oddly, right down to the same tooth sticking out at a certain angle.

PILs never bothered getting his teeth corrected, but back in the 60s it didn't have the same importance as it does today.

I just have to keep reminding DD to put her retainers in at night. She looks much better now it's all done.

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