To ask about thumb sucking / dummies?

[DrizzleHair]

My 3 month old baby has become a real thumb and finger sucker, he slurp away like mad, especially when he's tired. He sucks his thumb when he's falling asleep too which so far seems really handy for us and him as his older sister preferred to suck on my boob endlessly.

Quite a few people have commented that we should get him a dummy instead of his fingers. I think some of this is just something to say. I'm happy with him sucking himself rather than a bit of plastic I have to buy / clean / keep track of.

However my AIBU is about possible dental damage etc. My mum is a huge thumb sucking fan and rubbishes any claim that it harms teeth, but it occurred to me she might be wrong!

I'm after some proper evidence either way - too many people have a story about their cousin sucking his thumb and having bad teeth, that isn't evidence to me!

Anyone got any direct experience of this / know where I can get some unbiased truth about what is best to do?

I'm not keen on dummies, but if I can be persuaded this is what he needs to move to then I will.

Dentist:
Thumb sucking is horrible for teeth. Really bad malocclusions and very difficult to give up.
DS tried to find his thumb as a baby but I kept sticking a dummy in instead. He gave up the dummies age 2.6 - they went to Santa- no looking back.
My advice would be dummy not thumb, definitely!

Good question OP. I have goggled, but this is the only bit of actual evidence I can find. Everything else is just, as you say, accepted wisdom and dentists saying it is bad.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/12/011224083205.htm

My eldest had a dummy (for nights and naps) until she was 4

3 months after she stopped using it she started to suck her thumb, and continued for 5 years!

You don’t always get to make the simple choice

My eldest still sticks his thumb at 6,the youngest is on a dummy and it will be removed by the elves at Christmas I think, haven't decided yet! Tbh I was hoping to get chicken pox out of the way before ditching the dum!

I sucked my thumb til I was 6 and I have very straight, perfect teeth. My sister, who didn't use a thumb or dummy had to have braces.
For my son I choose a dummy over thumb do I was able to stop the dummy when I thought he was too old. To be honest we had a real struggle to stop the dummy but I was pretty relaxed as you don't see adults with dummies.

Ds 1 and ds2 had dummies. Was an awful experience getting rid of them. Dd1 is 5 months and is a thumb sucker. She refused the dummy. I dont think its the end of the world. She doesnt suck it constantly. The boys always had the dummy in the mouth and dd only uses thumb to sleep. I had crooked teeth and i had a dummy. I had braces. But so did my mum. So the teeth thing is irrelevant. They might not have straight teeth regardless. Just do what is best for you. The thumb sucking jas been better for us! No dummy hunts and she sleeps better as she doesbt loose her hand if she wakes up! All 3 ebf too if that helps

Dentists say it's bad because we see it every day! We aren't just being mean it frequently causes problems if it continues past age 6 when adult teeth start to come in.

My dentist says dummies are better than finger/thumb sucking.
You can get rid of a dummy you can't get rid of a thumb.
I limit my ds 14mo dummy to Nap & bedtime I wouldn't be able to do that with his thumb.

My 3 dc were breastfed.
Dd1 wouldn't take a bottle or dummy - she sucked her thumb (still does at 13 🙈) and is halfway through extensive orthodontic work.

Ds1 would take a bottle and loved his dummy. He gave it up at about 3 and has perfect teeth.

Dd2 didn't like a dummy and sucks her fingers - she will need orthodontic work later.

I have just googled- thumb sucking malocclusion - and found study after study after study. There is lots of evidence.

This little baby is 3 months though! I would let him carry on for now, it's clearly providing comfort.

The DC's orthodontist told me that there are many causes of malocclusion. Thumb or dummy sucking has a twofold effect - the actual thing in their mouth plus the fact that their jaws are not together and their tongue is not in the right place. He said that the toungue plays a part in making sure teeth aren't too crowded. He went into far more detail and it all made sense. A softer modern diet apparently plays a part too as it doesn't need so much chewing.

As I said earlier, two of my children were thumb suckers and both have had private orthodontic treatment to fix the damage. One child did not suck anything but still needed treatment (although his over crowding was not as severe). Looking at photos of him, he always had his mouth slightly open as a youngster which, according to the orthodontist, is what would have caused it.

They all have lovely straight teeth now with no extractions or train tracks. If I had my time again though I would discourage thumbsucking at an early age!

‘After permanent teeth come in, sucking may cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and alignment of the teeth. It can also cause changes in the roof of the mouth.

Pacifiers can affect the teeth essentially the same ways as sucking fingers and thumbs, but it is often an easier habit to break.

The intensity of the sucking is a factor that determines whether or not dental problems may result. If children rest their thumbs passively in their mouths, they are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs.‘ - American Dental Association

If you look on Google, there are many dentists and organisations supporting the claim of damage to the teeth by both Thumb-sucking and dummies.

And you’ll always find people who say ‘oh my dd/ds/brother sucked his thumb and his teeth are perfect’ in the same way you have people saying ‘I smoked with my children and they are all fine!’.

They are all personal accounts. I think listening to medical advice (that both thumb sucking and dummies cause changes in the mouth) is better but it’s your choice.