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Thumb sucking. To worry or not?

2 replies

monalisa28 · 30/01/2014 15:53

My daughter's just turned three and has always been a hair twirling thumb sucker. It never really occurred to me to worry about this but a recent trip to the dentist revealed that her teeth do not meet when she bites and her jaw is being pushed out of line. Since the dentist trip I've tried the varnish type product that tastes bad whenever she sucks her thumb. She quickly figured out that it only tastes bad for a few seconds and so the sucking continued. And I've tried gently telling her to stop sucking her thumb whenever I see her at it. She immediately pulls her thumb out but within a minute it's back in - without her giving it a thought the thumb just goes back to her mouth. How do I break this habit? She has a sore area around her mouth and base of her thumb now. Will she just outgrow it? Any help will be much appreciated.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
DameDeepRedBetty · 30/01/2014 15:57

We had a thumbsucker, and the lecture from the dentist, and we tried the bitter nail varnish too, without success. It went on until she was about seven, when she was teased about it at school - and that stopped it.

Her teeth have settled and there has been no need for braces in the end.

She still twirls her hair though!

Poshers · 30/01/2014 21:27

I'm 36 and still suck my thumb! I know that's prob not what you want to hear but I don't see it too much as a problem, I did see many dentists as a child who also said I had moved my jaw. I don't have goofy teeth & my jaw is now fine. Grin

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