Thumb sucking 8 month old, any help or advice welcome!

[Mamalovexx]

Hi,
My DS is 8 months old and for about 5 months has been a thumb sucker. He is the most chilled out baby and has always been an amazing sleeper for obv reasons as he can self soothe instantly. He wasn’t always like this as initially we gave him a dummy but every time it came out he would just cry multiple times a night!. Anyway, to get to the point I went to the dentist with him this week and the dentist has put the fear of god in me regarding what it could do to DS teeth and jaw in the future and now I’m terrified for him. My DD never sucked her thumb or had a dummy and none of my family or friends have experience regarding this so I feel in the dark with it all tbh. From peoples personal experiences would it be wise to quit the thumb now? And what strategies can I use to deter this habit? Or do I just leave him be and hope he grows out of it?. Please help!

Ignore the dentist he will grow out of it naturally

My eldest sucked her thumb and dentist said it absolutely wasn't an issue unless she was still doing it regularly when her adult teeth came in. Age 6 she only does it occasiony in her sleep For comfort, her baby teeth and jaw are perfect. - I know plenty of non thumb sucking children whose teeth are worse

One half of my 1 year old twins does it - her dentist said it "wasn't ideal" but I told him what his colleague had told me for the last 6 years and he backed down.

It's cruel to try and force him at this age not to do it - take the self soothing while you can! My twin who doesn't suck his thumb and also hates dummies and he is an horrendous sleeper

I personally hate seeing dummies on children

I agree with bonetired.

Eight months is very young to be going to the dentist anyway.

Hi Op - my daughter was a thumb sucker since she was about 4 months, mainly for sleeping and comfort.

I worried about it constantly and when we started going to the debris it was always told I need to start to get her to stop which didn't help.. to be honest i didn't do anything to try and get her stop - it was her way of comforting herself and I could bare to make her give it up .. and then when she turned 3 she just gave up on her own and now at 4 never does it.. I hope that helps!!

At this age not much point trying to discourage it as it'll just be frustrating for all. You need to tackle it when he is old enough to understand and ideally before the adult teeth start coming through.
We have a few thumb suckers and I wasn't worried as I was until 7ish too. Our 10 year old (waiting on asd assesment) has damaged his teeth and will require braces. One of our twins (6yr) stopped about a year ago, the other twin still sucks hers occasionally and may need braces too. All I do is remind them not to do it when I see it, tried nail biting polish which was a waste of time. I thought our baby was safe, refused dummy and seemed fine without anything (like our 3rd) but now 5mth and started sucking her thumb when hungry/tired. Dummies are better than thumb sucking but they will do what they want to do.

11 not 10

Slightly different angle.
I was a thumb sucker as a child as I wasnt given a dummy and it was encouraged apparently.
37 years later i sometimes find myself still doing it and my teeth are absolutely fine and ive never needed braces or any other dental treatment.
(This only ever happens if I am absolutely shattered and half asleep BTW, not a regular occurrance!)

At eight months I don't think it's an issue. Ds is six months and the health visitor asked me if he puts his hands in his mouth and was pleased that hexdid. I think it's something if a developmental milestone. I don't know if thumb sucking in particular is different but at 8 months I'm sure it's not an issue. Just let him be. I think it's part of self soothing.

My DD starting thumb sucking at around 7 months. We had to put her in scratch sleeves as she had eczema. Another unseen positive of the scratch sleeves was that she also couldnt suck her thumb any more. She was too young to protest about it or understand and is now out of the scratch sleeves and doesn't thumb suck. I would try to discourage it if you can, I think it's easier to stop these bad habits when their young.