TTMA Thumb Sucking

[beersandweirs]

So baby is a thumb sucker. She never took a pacifier, so this seems to be her alternative. I know it is not an issue yet, but when do I need to start worrying about trying to break her from that habit? Any BTDT moms just had their baby give it up without having to break them from it?

[3dimesdown]

No advice, but my LO is a thumb sucker as well. Definitely interested in anyone's feedback...

[Bluedaisy]

Also no advice but my lo is a thumb sucker...only when he gets tired though. That's the dead giveaway that he needs a nap or bedtime.

[beersandweirs]

Yeah, baby mostly does it when she is tired, or falling asleep, but it seems to be happening more and more often now.

[purple]

L is an occasional thumb sucker. Personally, I'd much rather she suck her thumb than a dummy, and as long as it comforts her, it isn't a big deal. My sister sucked her thumb in public till she was five, and in private till she was fourteen. I think that is a bit old, but on the other hand it hasn't caused any long term harm.

[3dimesdown]

Mar 1, 2016 12:30:15 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

Also no advice but my lo is a thumb sucker...only when he gets tired though. That's the dead giveaway that he needs a nap or bedtime.

Same.

[3dimesdown]

I'm not really worried about it now, but my H had to get braces for awhile last year, so he's already used up my orthodontic allotment on the dental insurance. We can't have LO sucking her thumb and messing up her teeth.

[beersandweirs]

Yeah, the need for braces or affecting how her mouth grows is my main concern. I had to have corrective jaw surgery (could be hereditary, not due to thumb sucking) when I was in my early 20's, so that is something I will need to keep an eye on for her as well.

[Deleted]

I don't want to scare anyone but (FFTuC) I sucked my thumb until I was 13. I only stopped because I got braces and I had to because it hurt to do it. My parents tried everything to get me to stop from mittens, to painting my nails with yuck polish, to putting tobasco sauce on my thumbs. So if anyone tells you they'll just quit, don't believe them. Honestly, I'm sure most probably do, but I didn't. Just don't take for granted that they will.

No experience with thumb sucking babies through.

[3dimesdown]

Mar 1, 2016 12:58:55 GMT -5 @jimbobcooter said:

I don't want to scare anyone but (FFTuC) I sucked my thumb until I was 13. I only stopped because I got braces and I had to because it hurt to do it. My parents tried everything to get me to stop from mittens, to painting my nails with yuck polish, to putting tobasco sauce on my thumbs. So if anyone tells you they'll just quit, don't believe them. Honestly, I'm sure most probably do, but I didn't. Just don't take for granted that they will.

No experience with thumb sucking babies through.

My H sucked his thumb until he was 8, although it was only at night. I'm already mentally preparing to have to break the habit with LO, but not until she's 5ish.

[Deleted]

Mar 1, 2016 13:06:14 GMT -5 3dimesdown said:

Mar 1, 2016 12:58:55 GMT -5 @jimbobcooter said:

I don't want to scare anyone but (FFTuC) I sucked my thumb until I was 13. I only stopped because I got braces and I had to because it hurt to do it. My parents tried everything to get me to stop from mittens, to painting my nails with yuck polish, to putting tobasco sauce on my thumbs. So if anyone tells you they'll just quit, don't believe them. Honestly, I'm sure most probably do, but I didn't. Just don't take for granted that they will.

No experience with thumb sucking babies through.

My H sucked his thumb until he was 8, although it was only at night. I'm already mentally preparing to have to break the habit with LO, but not until she's 5ish.

FTR, by 4 or 5 I only did it at home, usually when I was bored, watching TV, or tired.  Lest anyone thinks I was sitting in 8th grade math class sucking away.

[Bluedaisy]

@jimbobcooter, I have to admit I was wondering about that....

[billyhorrible]

DH and I were both thumbsuckers in elementary school. It's a really expensive habit. For him, it just cost the price of braces. For me, I had to have a a mouthpiece put in that looked like this:


and then an expander.

And then braces.


Neither of us would have needed braces if not for the thumbsucking.  It completely changes the structure of your mouth.  For me, it was so drastic because it pushed the roof of my mouth up, and narrowed my mouth, which was small to begin with (I KNOW! RIGHT?)  so then my teeth didn't fit when they came in.

So with both boys we made a point to take their thumbs out of their mouth every time we saw them sucking.  And introduced a pacifier, which is a much easier habit to break.  It's obviously too early to say for sure with BH, but with LBB it worked.

[junch817]

My daughter gave it up cold turkey at 15 months when she fell and cut her mouth and gums all up. It hurt her too much to do it. It was a really rough few days when she would try and comfort herself with her thumb, but it would only cause her more pain. She went on a nursing strike too, only for maybe a day, but thankfully she came back around for that.

[3dimesdown]

Mar 1, 2016 13:57:49 GMT -5 billyhorrible said:

DH and I were both thumbsuckers in elementary school. It's a really expensive habit. For him, it just cost the price of braces. For me, I had to have a a mouthpiece put in that looked like this:

This mouthpiece is the stuff of nightmares. It looks like a bear trap for your mouth... was it to keep your thumb out or was it actually for moving your teeth? Either way...



Maybe I need to get some pacifiers...

[veggiemo]

Just wanted to add in that I had serious orthodontic work, an expander and many years of braces...and never sucked my thumb or took a paci. So no thumb sucking does not equal no dental work, just an FYI!

[Bluedaisy]

Mar 1, 2016 15:00:24 GMT -5 veggiemo said:

Just wanted to add in that I had serious orthodontic work, an expander and many years of braces...and never sucked my thumb or took a paci. So no thumb sucking does not equal no dental work, just an FYI!

This was my entire family and DHs whole family.  Our poor little one is just doomed to inherit bad teeth. 

I also do know kids who did suck their thumb and had beautiful teeth.

[beersandweirs]

Mar 1, 2016 15:11:48 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

Mar 1, 2016 15:00:24 GMT -5 veggiemo said:

Just wanted to add in that I had serious orthodontic work, an expander and many years of braces...and never sucked my thumb or took a paci. So no thumb sucking does not equal no dental work, just an FYI!

This was my entire family and DHs whole family.  Our poor little one is just doomed to inherit bad teeth. 

I also do know kids who did suck their thumb and had beautiful teeth.

This! I want to hear more stories like this!

[prettymama36]

billyhorrible that's the same device my brother had. He was eight, and my parents had tried all the tricks mentioned above. I still remember how upset he was. I was around 10 and remember thinking he'd be traumatized forever. Me and my brother both had braces. None of my kids thumb sucked, and we already know the older two will need braces.

[3dimesdown]

I mean, H had to get braces when he was an adult because his jaw had gotten off kilter somehow recently, not because he sucked his thumb.

I on the other hand, had the jankiest of janky teeth and had braces forever... and never sucked my thumb or would take a pacifier. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[billyhorrible]

3dimesdown, it was to keep my thumb out of my mouth. They weren't going to begin the work on fixing my teeth until they knew I wasn't going to undo the work.

[Deleted]

Mar 1, 2016 13:41:26 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

@jimbobcooter , I have to admit I was wondering about that....

[Bluedaisy]

@jimbobcooter, as a teacher all I could think was "wow the kids at her school must have been so kind not to say anything" lol...

[veggiemo]

budders, oh I agree. I didn't mean to dispute that fact, I just wanted to point out that just because you don't have a thumb sucker/paci taker, doesn't mean they still won't have dental issues down the road.

[heartofglass]

Working in the dental field I would like to second pretty much all PP's. Thumb sucking doesn't guarantee orthodontic work later in life but it can be identified as an underlying cause that leads to it, as can extended pacifier use.

Like billyhorrible said, it can mishape your palate and alveolar arches which in turn doesn't allow for enough room for permanent teeth to erupt. It can also lead to open bites that hinder speech and eating.

[megeliz1]

DD1 sucks fingers and her dentist said not to worry until closer to 3. She's 2 in a month. He also said he preferred her two finger habit over a thumb or paci because it's wider and helps expand her palate.

DD2 doesn't take a paci or thumb/fingers. It will be interesting to see what happens down the road. Both H and I had braces. I was an extended thumb sucker.

[dmoney]

I didn't suck my thumb but I did stuck my fingers until kindergarten when my parents bribed me with movies to stop. I then needed a retainer, braces and the dreadful headgear. But my teeth were sooo fed up that the headgear pretty much had to be work 24/7 for a little while. DD sucks a paci which I am fine with because we can take them away from her, cant take away fingers.

[stinybean]

I have nothing to add, except that J started off as a paci kid until she found her thumb. She is a big thumb sucker. I was a pacifier kid & DH was a thumb sucker. I had braces, DH did not.