I was a thumb sucker until I was 12 when I was told I needed major work. I opted for teeth removeal and a neck brace, which turned into a 'train track' brace and a head brace!

Yes it was alot to go through but all is ok now.

My daughter (11 months) is a thumb sucker, but I know it is NOT, NOT a problem until your second teeth are coming through.

At such a young age as your lo or my own it can cause a lot more problems. By denying them of thier own way to self sooth can cause emotional and spychological problems or more simply if you try stopping them they will suck more forcefully. This may then give them a complex about sucking their thumb and make them think it is bad, when it is not.

There will be no permanant damage dome to you lo's teeth until the permenant teeth arrive, and in many cases children have stopped by then.

I am keeping hold of my 'bow' that I wore with my brace, just in case. But that will be a bridge to cross many years away yet.

Please do not worry. If you try to discourage your lo from it, you may cause more harm than good.

Yes I would be lying if i said I didn't think about the problems it may cause, but I am a walking exapmle of what thumb sucking can do, and I am fine with it.

If you find a way please let me know - ds doesn't suck his thumb, but dd who's 9 months does - I'm not worried about stopping it yet, but I do want to stop it in the not too distant future, but like you said, you can't just take it away!!

i am 16 and still find myself sucking my thumb every now and then. its embarassing when ur a kid because u can start without even realising. i remember being in an english class when i was about 14 and everyone was laughing. i tries to make out i was joing but they knew i wasnt. no matter how much my mum tried, i never stopped. i must have been about 18 before i pretty much stopped an like i said, every now an then i still do it. lol

please please try and stop him, I'm 39 this year and my teeth stick out through thumb sucking and I could brain my mother for not getting me to wear a brace when I was younger. I am now very very aware of my teeth sticking out and I don't smile because I hate showing them. Try painting his nails with that stop and grow nail stuff - it tastes awful or rub really hot mustard on his thumb. Good luck xxxx

My son is nearly 27 months and we are just starting to discourage him from sucking his thumb, his front two teeth stick out slightly (one more than the other) and our dentist has said he should not be doing it now as it will ruin the alignment of his teeth later   trouble is, it is not easy to get your 2 yr old to stop putting his thumb in his mouth, if it was a dummy i think it would be a little easier, as it is not attached to them lol... Any ideas gratefully recieved..