caleymama
08-09-2010, 02:10 PM
Took DD1 (almost 8) for her ortho consult today. They recommended we have one after her last dentist appt earlier this summer. She has sucked two fingers (ring & middle on left hand) since before she was six months old and it's starting to impact her teeth and mouth development. The consult was not for braces so much as it was to talk about "something" they can put in her mouth to make it uncomfortable to suck her fingers. This "something" turns out to be a tongue crib, which (if I understood correctly) is used to address the tongue thrust issue that can come from an open bite, which stems from the way her top front teeth flare and her bottom front teeth pull in slightly. The orthodontist didn't say that DD actually has the tongue thrust issue, but that it's what happens when the top & bottom teeth don't come together well and seal - the tongue ends up in the space. I guess we're headed that way if she doesn't have it already. The tongue crib wouldn't directly be to stop the finger sucking, but she said it has that effect for many kids because it becomes less comfortable to do so.
I purchased a finger guard (http://thumbguard.com/Fingerguard.html) a couple of weeks ago but DD, while initially very open to it, has really started resisting because she doesn't like having her fingers straight all night and the edge of the bracelets dug into her wrist, even when not too tight. Any looser and she could slide her fingers out from underneath. I'm reluctant to try the bitter nail polish (that's what the dental hygenist and the orthodontist suggested) because DD has such a strong gag reflex. I told DD that we had to give the finger guard another try, and that it was going to be less uncomfortable than a tongue crib would be.
She mainly sucks her fingers at night when going to sleep and overnight when she isn't even aware she's doing it - when I see her during the day she's quick to stop when I call it to her attention. I don't have an issue with the finger sucking in general, and I certainly don't want to shame her into stopping or make a big deal about it from a vanity perspective. It is doing a number on her permanent teeth, though.
What I've seen in a quick google about tongue cribs isn't so great in terms of comfort and speech while it's in, and some people said they went right back to sucking their thumb/fingers when it came out, not to mention that it's several thousand dollars.
Any experiences or advice to share? TIA :)
I purchased a finger guard (http://thumbguard.com/Fingerguard.html) a couple of weeks ago but DD, while initially very open to it, has really started resisting because she doesn't like having her fingers straight all night and the edge of the bracelets dug into her wrist, even when not too tight. Any looser and she could slide her fingers out from underneath. I'm reluctant to try the bitter nail polish (that's what the dental hygenist and the orthodontist suggested) because DD has such a strong gag reflex. I told DD that we had to give the finger guard another try, and that it was going to be less uncomfortable than a tongue crib would be.
She mainly sucks her fingers at night when going to sleep and overnight when she isn't even aware she's doing it - when I see her during the day she's quick to stop when I call it to her attention. I don't have an issue with the finger sucking in general, and I certainly don't want to shame her into stopping or make a big deal about it from a vanity perspective. It is doing a number on her permanent teeth, though.
What I've seen in a quick google about tongue cribs isn't so great in terms of comfort and speech while it's in, and some people said they went right back to sucking their thumb/fingers when it came out, not to mention that it's several thousand dollars.
Any experiences or advice to share? TIA :)