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

1 2

Original poster

Going cold turkey on thumb sucking - any advice / support please?

50 replies

sybilfaulty · 11/04/2010 21:09

Hello

We have just started trying to wean our 3y old DD2 off her thumb. She sucks constantly at night and at other times during the day. She has already done some damage to her teeth and our dentist said that she has to stop now. It is possible that her teeth might move back as her face grows but at the moment she has a fairly bad overbite.

At a friend's suggestion, I have bought a thumb guard, which she managed to get out of last night (having screamed constantly for about 3 hours then fallen asleep). I have welded it on again, and she has been ok with it during the day, but is still awake and miserable as she can't fall asleep without sucking. I feel like the meanest mother as she is still such a wee thing, but her teeth are shocking already and will only get worse if we don't break the habit now.

Anyone got any tips or hints? Are we doing the right thing with the thumb guard? It's fairly extreme and means she can't create a vacuum so sucking is pointless. She has in the past sucked my finger and she does suck hard, hence the teeth problems.

I am trying to tell myself that if I can break the habit now, she has at least a chance of escaping huge dental probems later, or minimising the ones which have already been done. However, she is so unhappy that I feel wretched for her, esp as I am indirectly causing it.

Any help gratefully received. Many thanks.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MoreCrackThanHarlem · 12/04/2010 22:40

We have not seen an ortho yet
dentist said pointless until most adult teeth are in, although only a few remain so it's likely to be within a year

he said most suckers stop when they start treatment with a brace as the sucking action is made less comfortable by the metal and plastic

most kids in US have braces unless teeth are perfect
in UK problems have to be more severe before they consider it
so I look on it as a positive- dd will get treatment and have the opportunity for near perfect teeth
with a less severe overbite she might not be considered for a brace

I curse the day I made the no dummy decision
she started thumb sucking at a couple of months old and is now 9
at least I could have thrown a dummy in the bin

CarGirl · 12/04/2010 22:43

Hence why dd4 had dummy forced on her - can you imagine how much damage shoving 4 fingers in could do!

Mine are all likely to need expansion work - huge teeth and tiny jaws are not a good combination. It's a bit worrying that she got referred at 6 - yes it's that bad

MadLenny · 12/04/2010 22:45

I feel your pain OP my DD is 3 and has recently had a recurrence of thumb sucking during the day. We thought we had it cut down so that it was only at night but due to some family upset over the last few weeks it's back with a vengeance. Let us know how you get on and I might give the thumbguard a whirl with DD

MoreCrackThanHarlem · 12/04/2010 22:53

My teeth were too big for my jaw cargirl
I had 8 removed from the back and they spaced out nicely
that was 20 years ago though
am sure much has changed

CarGirl · 12/04/2010 22:56

That is exactly what they like doing as it is cheap but what they can do that is much better is expand the jaw to make room for all the teeth. I only have 24 teeth too but you can see how narrow my jaw is and how high my palate is - it's not attractive.

Original poster

sybilfaulty · 13/04/2010 07:35

Well, I survived a day at work on 3 hours sleep! Sunday night was so awful, but DD2 managed to be very cheery at nursery and even had a little nap.

Last night she screamed for an hour then fell asleep and has slept all night. She seems on good form this am although her eyes are a bit puffy from crying and lack of sleep.

Thanks for all the support. Will keep you posted.

OP posts:

suwoo · 13/04/2010 10:29

Cargirl, I only have 24 teeth too, I had 8 removed. As I said earlier in the thread, mine were shocking. DD seems to have inherited the same shaped teeth with a big gap like I had, but her overbite, although present is significantly less than mine.

EffiePerine · 13/04/2010 17:36

Hope things continue to improve Sybs

waitinggirl · 13/04/2010 22:44

how are things, sybil?

i sucked my thumb until i was 12 and had my first proper adultish kiss. nothing but nothing would stop me before that - i have no idea if i had a dummy or not before.

i didn't have a brace because my dentist at the time (rightly) said i wouldn't need one, even though i had a massive gap between my two front teeth - this has now closed up. i think he was quite visionary.

i'm so sorry this is being so hard for you all. chin up and all that...

navyeyelasH · 13/04/2010 23:01

I'm 26 and suck my thumb regularly and my teether are perfect - no overbite and no fillings either.

My parents tried everything to stop me (and my sister - who has terrible teeth but from smoking) including tieing a sock on my hand when I was a child, using the nail varnish (which we sucked off), pepper, mustard everything.

None of it worked. As a thumb sucker I do with I could not do it so it might be worth going through it now with her. Could you replace the thumb with an orthodontic dummy? I don't think it would be the same feeling but it might lessen the blow?

kalo12 · 13/04/2010 23:03

i still suck my thumb at 39, teeth fine, dad is orthodontist and he was never worried about it

navyeyelasH · 13/04/2010 23:09

I do wish I could not* do it - that is suppose to read!

MadameDefarge · 13/04/2010 23:27

Um. What is wrong with having an overbite? I think I have one, but if I didn't my other teeth would fit together.

NewDKmum · 14/04/2010 08:11

I am trying to break the habit with my DD1 (4) as well. So far I am using a combination of thumbbusters and giving her chewing gum when she watches TV and other "critical" moments, such as in the car etc.

Original poster

sybilfaulty · 14/04/2010 08:23

Last night even better - no tears, fell asleep straightaway, woke in night for a wee but went back to sleep (albeit in my bed though).

We were out for the day and she napped in the car without a fuss and did not mention the guard all day.

I am cautiously optimistic. Today is day 5. Could be make or break. Will report back. Guard stays on for another month though in any event.

OP posts:

dinkystinky · 14/04/2010 08:56

That's great news Sybil - hopefully you've cracked it. Well done to you and your DD.

MadLenny · 14/04/2010 17:24

Everything crossed for you sybil

SweetApril · 16/04/2010 12:33

Hi. Hope nobody minds but I'm going to bump this today and see how Sybil and her DD are doing.

My DD is 3 and has managed to stop sucking her finger during the day over the course of several weeks with a huge sticker chart and a prize at the end of each week if she managed to get enough stickers. Worked so well and I'm very proud and last night she expressed an interest in trying to stop at night. Made for a fairly disrupted night for all of us but no tears from DD as it was her decision. Didn't work mind as she can't control it during her sleep.

We are considering trying the Fingerguard (DD sucks her forefinger and the Thumbguard people say it will fit fine although will have to cover two fingers) but I'd be really interested to know if anyone has a child of around the same age who was able to stop (even during their sleep) just using incentives and rewards. DD is so keen and I have a few spectacular treats (well, they would be to her) up my sleeve but I don't know whether I should just save them until we get the Fingerguard or try without first.

Thanks. Would love to hear from you, Sybil.

Lubyloo · 24/04/2010 22:49

Hi Sybil - Im just bumping this as I'm considering getting a Thumbguard for my DD and was wondering how you are getting along?

SweetApril · 26/04/2010 15:34

Bumping again for myself and Lubyloo! Are you there Sybil?!

littlebrownmouse · 18/05/2010 18:53

Wouldloveto know how you got on Sybil. We're thinking about going down the thumb guard road with DD(4) who is really sad about what her thumb looks like and has an overbite on baby teeth. She is a hard core prolific thumb sucker and I fear she may need one for each thumb. Really don't want to spend the cash if it is going to work. Will she be able to do things with the thumb guard on eg. wash her hands, hold a pencil etc?

To older thumb suckers - DH is a hard core finger sucker and until the last couple of years he too had perfect teeth. However, he's now 37 and his teeth have suddenly become really worn, clearly as a direct result of finger sucking. They look a bit grim and you can see the layers under the first layer of enamal. He'll have to have something done with them soon.

Latootle · 20/05/2010 00:05

dont worry about dummy or thumb sucking. by the time they are right for braces they will have stopped. does it really matter. my daughter sucked her thumb and had a dummy and a few months with braces has perfect teeth now.

Paranoid1 · 21/01/2011 12:12

came on mumsnet for the first time three weeks ago as my son (age 4) been told by dentist to stop sucking his thumb...first few nights we tried it but he couldn't get to sleep without beloved thumb...getting grumpier and grumpier each day from lack of sleep...promised lego treat if he could do it and then said he could wear his new woolly dinasaur gloves while he waited for lego to arrive. Success! Lego took a week to come which gave plenty of time for gloves routine to get established. Great. Now we just have to wean him off the gloves...

ppeatfruit · 21/01/2011 16:09

yes morecrack my Ds did not suck anything , while my 2 DDs sucked their thumbs till 6 they have lovely straight teeth ,It was my DS who needed orthodontics!!

SkyBluePearl · 21/01/2011 23:24

I've been told not to worry about my DS till his adult teeth start to come through.

Flip

1 2