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Hawkeyewife
03-31-2009, 08:52 AM
I may be worried about this a little early, but my 15 month old sucks his thumbs when he gets sleepy and for general soothing. My other two never sucked thier thumbs and all three seemed to lose interest in the paci when solid foods were introduced around 6 months of age.

We went to the pediatric dentist yesterday for his first appt and she scared me into thinking he needed to stop sucking now. I was going to just let it go away on it's own. I am thinking about putting some gauze pads on his thumbs to see if it discourages his thumb sucking but thinking it may be better to just hold off for a while. He doesn't suck while sleeping (at least when I check in on him he doesn't seem to ever be).

Advice?

egoldber
03-31-2009, 09:48 AM
My personal bias upfront, I am pretty much against taking a child's comfort item away. Babies and young children have so few ways to self soothe that if one is important to them, who am I to take it away?

My 7 year old was a HUGE thumb sucker. I wouldn't say she has stopped, but I can't really remember the last time I saw her do it. We never said anything about it, her dentist never said anything about it, and it was just treated very matter of factly. I did point out to her at one point that when she sucked her thumb in the winter it made her chapped hands worse, and that motivated her to stop doing it on her own during the day, but she did suck her thumb at night for about 2 more years after that. Overall by FAR the worst thing we dealt with was other people's inappropriate comments.

I did a great deal of research and as long as they stop sucking before most of the permanent teeth are erupted, there is little evidence to say that thumb sucking hurts anything in the long run. Also, there is little you can do to stop it. If you chastise the child, they are likely to want to suck MORE because that becomes a source of stress and their way of dealing with stress is thumb sucking. Not to mention, they often replace it with other behaviors like nail biting, finger chewing and clothes chewing.

Most kids will spontaneously give it up before age 5 and older than that they usually become self motivated to stop at least during the day because of the comments of others.

pb&j
03-31-2009, 09:51 AM
I've visited several pedi dentists recently, and none have been too concerned about DS's (age 3) thumbsucking. They do say to discourage it around age 4, though. DS is naturally sucking his thumb less these days, mostly just when he's going to sleep and occasionally in the car. His baby teeth have shifted some due to the thumbsucking and he does have an open bite, but all the dentists we've seen have said that if he stops sucking his thumb in the next year, that everything will shift back where it should go when his permanent teeth come in.

FWIW, I didn't suck my thumb at all or have a paci, and I had an open bite and crooked teeth, and required 5 years of braces, appliances, and headgear.

egoldber
03-31-2009, 10:05 AM
FWIW, I didn't suck my thumb at all or have a paci, and I had an open bite and crooked teeth, and required 5 years of braces, appliances, and headgear.

Ah yes. Me too.

Hawkeyewife
03-31-2009, 11:03 AM
THANKS! I was a little shocked with the dentist's comments yesterday. I am comfortable letting things naturally progress. DS is only 15 months old and is such a mild mannered and happy child. I am so grateful for your level-headed responses.

One would think that by the 3rd child most of my kid questions would be pretty easy, I am looking forward to what #4 throws our way!

Piglet
03-31-2009, 11:09 AM
Beth, I love reading about Sarah - she and DS1 have grown up together here on the BBB. Your post is bang on! DS1 was (and possibly is) an avid thumbsucker. His permanent teeth look great. The dentist was not at all concerned although I asked him to tell DS1 to stop since it had more clout coming from a professional, LOL. The reality is that it is his comfort mechanism. I tried very hard to get him to stop thumb sucking at some time and then he switched to chewing his shirts, and then chewing his pencils, andnow biting his nails. At this point, I swear, I would rather he suck his thumb - at least that was socially unacceptable and he didn't do it in public. The nail biting is more disgusting and harder to break (I am still biting mine when I am stressed). All my kids have some sort of oral fixation and the thumb was the lesser of all evils as far as I can tell.

ohiomom1121
04-01-2009, 10:01 AM
My DD was a HARD CORE finger sucker starting at about 4 months. Once she hit preschool age we really wanted to break her of it because of the thought of all the nasty germs she'd be putting in her mouth. We tried the nail polishes, bribery, a fitted plastic glove...nothing worked. Then right when she turned 4 DH told her she could get a new pair of boots (she loves boots-quite the little fashionista LOL) if she didn't suck at all until her brother's naptime. She got her boots, and just quit sucking. It's weird, but they will stop of their own. I used to laugh when people would say that, but was shocked when it happened. I think 15 months is really early to have to break something that comforts them!

TraciG
04-06-2009, 01:18 PM
My almost 5 1/2 year old still suck's her thumb with a blanket. We recently went to a pediatric dentist & he was fine with her sucking her thumb !

I hate when my SIL & MIL ask her if she's a baby because she suck's her thumb with a blanket, she say's she can't help it.

I was a thumb sucker. I feel that almost everyone need's brace's these day's anyway !

s7714
04-07-2009, 07:04 PM
My younger DD is a thumb sucker and our dentist suggested if we didn't start making her stop asap she'd be in braces for life practically. He actually suggested putting her in a extra big sweatshirt with the arms sewed shut at the ends so she couldn't get to her hands! :mad: Hello, this is a 3 1/2 year old, not a infant. You know what she'll do? She'll take the sweatshirt off! Duh!

Anyway, I have no plans to stop her right now. We have casually mentioned to her a couple times that maybe she should stop (like when she complains that she wants her nails painted like mommy and sister), but don't ever push it. I know it's at least gotten the wheels turning in her head though, because one day when she was upset at nap time, she sobbed out "I want to suck my thumb" (I told her to go for it).

I only know a couple people who needed braces because they sucked their thumb after getting their adult teeth. OTOH I know plenty of people who never sucked their thumb and yet still ended up needing braces, so I think the whole scare tactic thing dentists use is a bit exaggerated.

WatchingThemGrow
04-07-2009, 09:19 PM
DS is a huge sucker too. To go to sleep he must have a sleepsack. As soon as you put the sleepsack on, the thumb goes in. Like clockwork.

Our ped. dentist said not to worry until the permanent teeth come in, but MAN, there is some movement going on in there now!