Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

KICKING THE THUMB SUCKING HABIT...anyone care to join me? let's start TODAY

19 replies

noonar · 06/10/2007 09:53

ok, i'm going to buy some nail bite stuff, TODAY. dd2 is 3yo 2 mo and her teeth are really beginning to suffer, as a result of this habit.

anyone want to join me, and suffer the much anticipated blood, sweat and tears ( and tantrums) together?

not sure i can do this alone...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

missh · 06/10/2007 15:08

i know excactly how u feel my dd 3y4mnths has her thumb in that much i fear it will becme moulded to her face,its an absoulute nightmare trying to stop her yher teehtare beginning to get pushed back

Original poster

noonar · 08/10/2007 18:57

hi missh have delayed my assault on thumb sucking for a few days. dd is rather out of sorts. not great timing.

OP posts:

smoggie · 08/10/2007 19:35

will be watching with interest. Ds2 (2.7) is terrible for this and his teeth are starting to suffer. I'm going to try softly softly - removing labels from cuddly toys that currently provoke a Pavlovian response from him!, then if that fails, I'll try more drastic measures. SO, keen to see if yours work

ThreadyKrueger · 08/10/2007 19:38

This is just a question, sorry if it's misguided. Is it really certain that the teeth are affected -- i.e. does the dentist say so?
I sucked my thumb (constantly)till nine with no ill effect.

Original poster

noonar · 08/10/2007 19:38

well smoggie, havent actually started yet

OP posts:

hbp · 08/10/2007 20:01

My ds is 3 years 2months, and I decided at 3 years to try to get him to stop sucking his thumb. We/I talked to him about it and he said yes ..... but didn't.
So I bought stop and grow, put this on for 2 days and nights and he hasn't sucked his thumb since !!!!! Good Luck

smoggie · 08/10/2007 20:58

ThreadyK - apparently my sil dentist said it's not only the teeth that are affected but the sucking action can also affect the whole jaw/mouth shape!!
That was when I vowed to do something about it....erm soon .

missh · 08/10/2007 22:00

thanx hbp gonna try that stop and grow,were did you get it from ?

satine · 08/10/2007 22:04

Just another point of view - I still suck my thumb to this day and my teeth and jaw are fine.

Your poor children, only after a bit of comfort.....

Original poster

noonar · 09/10/2007 09:51

satine, i have absolutely no problem with thumb sucking per se.( dont care if it looks babyish, for instance) but dd2 has a very open bite and protruding front teeth ALREADY. she is only just 3.

I think that allowing her to continue is actually unkind in a way( i KNOW it is causing damage which could result in her being teased, and it is ALREADY affecting her speech).

i think your post is a bit simplistic, tbh. lucky you, if you've not been affected. some suckers have a much more aggressive suck! trust me, i am not a 'no nonsense' mum, wanting to rob dd of small comforts, just for the sake of it.

OP posts:

TrinityRhino · 09/10/2007 09:56

I understand that some children but definitely not all are prone to their teeth being affecting by thumbsucking but I would still wait till they are losing their baby teeth and old enough to understand
and there is always the possiblity of braces too
I really woulnd't take away their comfort

Original poster

noonar · 09/10/2007 09:58

but trinity, how is making them endure months of braces, when they are at a self conscious age, kinder than a few nights of adjustment/ tears? i dont get it!

OP posts:

seeker · 09/10/2007 09:59

I don't think I would try to stop a comfort habit unless my child's dentist had specifically told me that my child's teeth are specifically being affected by the habit.

Original poster

noonar · 09/10/2007 10:01

seeker, my dentist has told me categorically that her teeth are being affected. it's quite obvious. even my unobservant 90 yo gran has noticed.

OP posts:

Original poster

noonar · 09/10/2007 10:01

seeker, i do agree with what you said.

OP posts:

TrinityRhino · 09/10/2007 10:39

cause you can get colourful braces and I don't thik they really are that self conscous at 7 or 8 yet. or rather my dd1 certainly isn't yet.

Ignore me, I step down from this discussion, I understand that I am overy sensitive and I specifically ensured that my children didn't have dummies because I KNEW that I wouldn't be able to take away their comfort and so they would probably still have them at 3 which I think is hideous.

You go ahead and do what you feel is right.

Housemum · 09/10/2007 10:57

Noonar - I sympathise entirely - DD2 is 4.5 and still a thumb-sucker. However, she is beginning to reduce the sucking a bit - perhaps it's too soon for you? We really thought she'd stopped the habit after an accident pushing a doll's pram - she skinned both thumbs when she fell over still holding the handles and it was too painful to suck for a couple of weeks, but about a month later she started again.

All I can suggest is giving your DD as many things to do as poss that involve her hands during the daytime, to perhaps reduce the thumb use to only when she's tired. That's when mine sucks hers now. Duplo, Lego, play-doh, polly pockets - all sorts of fiddly things that need two hands!

Her teeth might turn out to be nothing to do with her thumb? DD1 didn't have a dummy, nor did she suck her thumb or chew her pencils, but she is having to have braces because her teeth are so far forward - she qualifies under the new stricter NHS rules so they are certainly far enough out! Our dentist said thumb sucking wasn't necessarily a problem unless still a constant thumb-sucker when the permanent teeth start to come through so you still have a couple of years.

Enid · 09/10/2007 11:02

god don't bother

she'll probably need a brace later anyway when her big teeth come through

dalek · 09/10/2007 11:08

Will be watching this with interest. DD is 7 and sucks her thumb to sleep, in her sleep, if she's bored, tired or watching tv. Dentist said it is her affecting her mouth. My DH was originally - oh don't worry, my sister sucked her thumb till she ws nine nad there were no problems but even he commented at the weekend that DD's teeth are starting to stick out - and one more so than the other.

I think DD is just unlucky - some people's teeth/jaws are affected and some aren't. I don't have any problems per se with DD sucking her thumb - actually think it can be quite cute - but then I am an old softie - but people I have spoken to who have had races say there are uncomfortable, painful and give them headaches - just trying to spare DD that.

Last night after she had fallen asleep, in an attempt to stop her sucking her thumb IN her sleep I put a plaster on each thumb - first thing shae said to me when I went in to get her up this morning - What are these plasters doing on my thumbs? I explained but she didn't divulge whether she remembered whetherthey stopped her sucking or not.

Good luck everyone.

Flip