Is there an affordable dentist who can help a teenage child quit sucking and chewing on her thumb? When my daughter was young, she started sucking her thumb. It then morphed into kind of a nervous habit. She now absent-mindedly half chews/half sucks on her thumb just resting behind her top teeth. She taps her bottom teeth against her nail. Because her thumb ends up in her mouth so much, her skin peels and she ends up biting on the skin and sucking more. I feel like it’s a vicious cycle. Because she has done it so long, her top teeth kind of stick out. She wants to get braces, but I’m afraid we’ll spend the money on the braces, but her habit will continue and it will do no good. Can dentists help with that kind of stuff and is it an affordable process to fix?
Thanks in advance,
Jane
Dear Jane,
It is very common for youth who suck on their fingers or thumb to have teeth that are out of alignment. As soon as the permanent, adult teeth are coming in, if there is a force consistently against them, the teeth will shift. In order to correct your daughter’s bite, she will need some orthodontic treatment. You are wise to address the thumb-scenario before attempting to fix the bite.
How to address thumb sucking
Because most youth who suck on or bite on their thumbs do it without even thinking about it, it’s not simply a matter of just telling them to quit or attaching punishments if they suck on their thumb. They need some outside help from aids that will it either undesirable to suck on the thumb or not possible. They need something that changes the scenario somehow. This change makes them aware of what they are doing. There are products that you can purchase from a drug store that you paint on the nail to make it taste yucky. You can also try putting a bandaid on that thumb.
If these methods don’t work, that’s where an affordable dentist comes in. There is a appliance that a dentist can make that prevents sucking on the thumb. This appliance stays in the mouth and is typically installed on the roof of the mouth. Make some calls to local dentists and ask specifically about what you need. Ask how much they would charge for the appointment and the device. Just be aware that the cheapest dentist isn’t always the best dentist to choose, especially if the price is significantly different from the others.
This post is sponsored by Dr. Cummiskey at Generations Dental Care in Enfield, CT.