Feeling rubbish - dummy has messed up teeth

[theculture]

My dc didn't use a dummy until about 2 years and became really attached to it. I knew it wasn't a great idea but thought she would grow out of it. She didn't and now at 5 I realize she has a gap between the top and bottom teeth because of it

Feeling pretty rubbish for not being the grown up and stopping her

Does anyone have experience of what will happen next, her big teeth haven't come yet - will she need dental treatment?

My child got rid of theirs at 3.5, there was a gap between the top and bottom, almost like a hole. This corrected itself and they have beautiful teeth, with no need for any orthodontal treatment. The other one was a thumb sucker which was a completely different story! 🙄

Thanks myfoolishboatisleaning I guess given the age perhaps there will be more impact - what happened to your thumb sucker?

My DSS was a thumb sucker till 11 OP so I wouldn’t feel too guilty! He actually needed a lot of dentist work... braces for a huge over bite because of thumb sucking, then train tracks after this to straighten his teeth. But he’s 16 now and has perfectly straight teeth. A lot of 12/13/14 need braces so it was very common in his year at school. Some are just getting them now so he was lucky he had them early. We all spent years trying to make him stop sucking him thumb.
If the dummy has gone you will be fine Op

Thanks Pppppppp1234 she probably would need a brace anyway as I did . . .

DS is exactly the same, he had his dummy since birth, and is still very attached to it at 4. Last time he went to the dentist I got told off for letting have it this long. We tried to take it off him, but he kicked up a big fuss and we gave it back.

I needed a lot of dental work when I was younger and I never had a dummy, that being said I did suck my thumb till I was 14. My sister however never had braces, and she had a dummy till she was 7! I guess you can never really predict it.

Non of mine had dummies but all needed braces. Try not to beat yourself up about it because there’s a good chance your dc would have been that way without it

Last time I took dd to the dentist I mentioned the gap between her top and bottom teeth and he asked if she had a dummy, I said that she did and he said that as long as it's gone before she's 4 it will just right itself. She's 4 in the Summer and gave it up 2 months ago, so at about 3.5. Ds was similar and now his teeth are perfect at 5. I needed loads of dental work and I never had a dummy or sucked my thumb and I'm worried dd will be the same dummy or no dummy tbh.

My thumb sucker had braces and a palatal expander. I could not turn the key on the expander, it was like medieval torture, but she was absolutely fine. She has absolutely beautiful teeth, but it was many years and very expensive. I know your child is older but I don’t think dummies ever cause as much damage as thumb sucking. Dummies are much better.

Thanks again for the comments, we are radically cutting down the use but still letting her use it just to go to sleep without too much trauma from her . . . I did notice she was going for her thumb instead and thought better to cut down the dummy than get a whole new habit!!!

If you really want her to give up her dummy, I’ve heard of people who plan it for a week ie talk about it, make a big fuss about gathering them all up (it is very important that all of them are collected and the child won’t find a hidden one later) then wrapping them nicely before hanging on a branch for the dummy fairy to collect it to give to a small baby. The fairy leaves a gift for the child who has gifted the dummies - something the child really wants. It sounds like a huge fuss but it seemingly works. I had a thumbsucker which led to many dental problems.....

ETA has the dentist asked her to stop? My child did their best to stop sucking their thumb after the dentist told them they had to. Sometimes they listen to other people more than they listen to us.

My dd had her dummy until she was 7! Her adult teeth came through perfectly...

But your still letting her use it? 🙄

TBH I'm not convinced dummies really cause this. I think it's more likely to be genetic.

Don't feel bad it may had happened anyway. Our son has sucked his thumb all his life and people used to tell me to make him stop or his teeth will be busted. He is 13 now still sucking his thumb and his teeth are very nice.
You never know with genetics.

Another one with two DSs needing braces who never had dummies or sucked their thumbs.

There are multiple reasons for wonky teeth that need braces. Dummies and thumbs are just two of them.

I can see she has a gap between her top and bottom teeth which I can see from photos she didn't a few years ago . .

I like the idea of giving it away like the tooth fairy. As I say she has had a harsh reduction in use over the last few days but it would be really good to get her involved in the decision

Yes BlueChampagne Our dd1 sucked her thumb from 3 months till 7 years old , she had lovely straight teeth. dd2 sucked her middle fingers from about 1yr. old to 3ish. She also has straight teeth.

Ds never sucked anything and at 13 he needed orthodontic work for his 2 front teeth!!

So you can never tell it's not worth putting your children and your self through all that stress if it could have happened anyway!!

My dd was the same. Our dentist said dummy should be gone by 3. We worked hard on it and got it gone completely by 3 years and 9 months. She had a noticeable gap between top and bottom teeth where the dummy sat. Now at 6 years and 9 months her teeth align perfectly themselves. She has very small teeth and lots and lots of space between each one which may or may not make a difference.

We introduced the concept of he dummy fairy and the dentist suggested using Santa. However dd started crying about Christmas as she didn’t want her dummy to go.

In the end she woke one day and said she would give the dummies to the fairy that night. She packaged them all up and asked for a treat from the fairy. She went to bed with them in an envelope outside the door.

Dd2 is not quite 2 and is dummy obsessed. I am going to start getting a lot more strict about it now

IMO it's genetic. Regardless what is said by 'experts'.

Yeah, because the experts know absolutely bog all. 🙄

Both my DD and DS loved their dummies, DS moreso and due to some drastic life changes I perhaps let him hold onto it for much longer than I did DD. It was his only comforter and I wasn't keen to strip that away. He had this gap, like his top teeth were arched and if he smiled he could fit a finger in the gap. But once the dentist told me he was likely going to need braces as a teen because of it I got rid when, he was 3 and a half. Horrendous couple of nights but then done. The gap has closed beautifully and his teeth are perfectly aligned.

Its definitely not genetic, I worked in orthodontics for years and would see patients like this on an almost daily basis. I can spot a dummy/thumb sucker straight off it's very distinctive

Nothing to be done now - it may self correct but often doesn't, but one way or another you'll be fine.

Nowthatsamiriacle but he's 4, kicking up a fuss should not be enough reason not to stop a dummy at 4. Orthodontic work is painful and expensive to either you, or to the all of us via the NHS. To condemn a child to that because you can't handle a week of fuss is cruel.