Can't stop toddler sucking thumb, but can I stop him sucking it so hard?

[sidebysides]

DS is very young and only sucks his thumb at night or when holding his cuddly. But he sucks it so hard - v noisy - that his teeth are already bucking a bit at the front. I dread where they'll be by the time he's five..

Ideally I'd like to stop him thumbsucking but I know he's too young (2.5). But how can I stop him sucking so hard as that's where the damage is being done - not the frequency.

Thanks

To be honest, my DS did this, same hard sucking at bedtime and when needing comfort. There was a thread on here recently about stopping them around 4 or 5 when you can reason with them and sometimes they automatically move away from it.

You can't stop it without being cruel, in my honest opinion. Its a comforter and one he may need for a few years.