braces and thumbsucking

[Anna5]

Hello,

I got my braces on last Monday. I have an open bite, a misaligned jaw and teeth because of very prolonged thumbsucking. I even didn't dare to admit it on this forum before, but I have never been able to kick this habit completely, even till now ( I am almost 40 years old)..... Still now with braces on, I find it hard not to suck my thumb anymore, especially when falling asleep at night. I have some sleeping pills now which help me to sleep without my thumb, but I can't take these pills forever.... I feel very embarassed by this bad habit and the resulting bad teeth, that was my reason to get braces. Now with braces on, I know that I definitely have to kick this habit completely and I also want to, but it is so hard! The constant craving at night, and sometimes it happens just unconsciously that I find myself sucking my thumb.
In the 'real world' I don't dare to share this problem (also didn't dare to tell my ortho that I still suck my thumb), but you are all wonderful people so I thought I will share it here. I was wondering if there are more adults here who still struggle with this problem or got braces for this reason (prolonged thumbsucking). Did you feel embarassed as well? And how did you finally manage to kick the habit?

Greetings from Anna

[Bikerchick85]

Hello Anna! No need to be embarrassed! I am no longer a thumbsucker but I can share my experience with it. I was still sucking my thumb when I got braces at age 12. Of course my ortho noticed because my front teeth flared out and she checked out my thumb She put in a "fence" which attached to the inside of the molar bands and I could no longer put my thumb in my mouth. Although I tried. I was like you and couldn't fall asleep without it. Anyways, I had that device for a year and it totally kicked my habit. Have not done it since then! (I'm 27 now). My suggestion would be to tell your ortho about your habit. I'm sure he/she has had cases like that before & would be understanding. It would be detrimental to your teeth (and counter-productive) if you weren't able to kick the habit during treatment. I wish you luck!! I truly understand how hard it is to stop the thumbsucking. I cried and cried when I got that device in my mouth. But it was totally worth it! BTW.. Congrats on starting your treatment & Welcome to the forum!

[Kipepeo]

Kudos to you, Anna for taking this very courageous first step. I agree with BikerChick...you need to tell your ortho so your treatment can progress properly. Maybe you can casually ask why he thinks you have the open bite and misaligned jaw & teeth. Then if he suggests thumb sucking maybe a little too long, perhaps you can tell him then that you haven't totally kicked that habit. That way, you're telling him without outright saying the words. Now is your chance to get help to kick the habit and move on.

Edit: I wasn't a thumbsucker...I was a finger sucker, and I remember doing this. I developed a mild open bite, but the alignment was ok. I stopped finger sucking probably at about 5 or 6, but I sort of continue a related habit. While I finger sucked I also picked fuzz from blankets. This is probably why I kept my thumb free...for rolling and picking. I could pick blankets clean. I still do this picking some, but not very much, because I try to keep "pickable" linens away from myself! I have NEVER told anyone about this except my immediate family. In fact, in re-reading this last paragragh I'm literally laughing out loud. It's so ludicrous!

[Bikerchick85]

I still do this picking some, but not very much, because I try to keep "pickable" linens away from myself! I have NEVER told anyone about this except my immediate family. In fact, in re-reading this last paragragh I'm literally laughing out loud. It's so ludicrous!

LOLOLOL!!! Kipepeo!! I started laughing as soon as I read this!! (in a loving way, mind you!!) It's so funny to hear about other people's habits! Everybody does something that other people find strange!! I have some fuzzy blankets I need picked!! HEHEEHEE

[jem]

How funny, Kip!

Does anyone remember candlewick bedspreads? Not sure if they were just a UK thing, but they had rows of tufts of wool making up a pattern or lines.The tufts were easily pulled out and my bedspread within reaching distance was totally bald. 50 years on,my mother still reminds me of this, so I look forward to being able to tell her that the habit saved me from damaging my teeth by thumb-sucking.....

Jem

[Anna5]

Hi!

Thanks for your replies! And indeed, how funny is your habit, Kipepeo!!!! It shows that everybody does things that other people find strange, and for me that's thumbsucking..... But indeed, I should really get rid of that habit now...
How did you manage to sleep without thumbsucking, bikerchick? I think you were just forced to it because of that fence.
Such a device doesn't sound nice, but it surely helps against thumbsucking if you just can't do it anymore.
And yes, probably I have to tell my ortho.... The bad thing is that he already knows that my misaligned teeth and jaw are from thumbsucking. I told him that I have been sucking my thumb for a long time, but I didn't dare to tell for HOW long.... He even asked whether I still sucked my thumb and I stupidly said no. I was so embarassed that I didn't dare to tell him the truth. And I was afraid that if I told him, he would refuse me braces.
Hopefully, I get the courage to tell next time I visit the ortho, and in the meantime I try to kick off from the habit myself. With sleeping pills and a plaster on my thumb....

[Bikerchick85]

Anna, I was forced out of it basically. I tried to stick my thumb in side ways and it wouldn't work! LOL! I also had the fence for tongue thrusting too. It teaches you where to keep your tongue in your mouth. It actually wasn't an unpleasant device. It wasn't painful or anything. Next time you go see your ortho, tell him you told a little fib last time you were there. He'll be understanding. They wouldn't refuse you braces because of that. They are there to help you stop it! Eventually, you'll get used to sleeping without it. When I sucked my thumb I would use my index finger to stroke my nose. It was a comfort thing I guess. If I was around my dad, I would use his thumb nail to rub my nose cause it was so smooth!! LOL! Weird, I KNOW!! But I was, and still am a Daddy's Girl! Minus the thumbsucking and nose rubbing of course!! HEHE

[isthistaken]

Orthodontists are usually quite bright, so maybe he already figured it out and will have some way of helping with this down the road. Not an expert, but I was wondering if some type of splint for the hands might work, just until the habit is broken? You've already taken a huge step by going for the orthodontics, that takes courage, I think everyone on here will agree!

[Ciara]

I have a friend who never outgrew this habit either but she thumb-sucked not only when she was sleeping but also when she was studying (she is now a uiversity professor so she did a lot of studying). She got braces about 5 years ago and finally told her ortho about her habit. He put in the thumb crib (you can see a picture on this page http://www.dingusortho.com/appliances.php)

She was very embarrassed telling her ortho but he told her that he because an orthodontist because he had also been a thumb-sucker and had to get braces when he was an undergraduate dental student. He broke his habit when he was in his 20s.

I chew pens/pencils and have been warned by my ortho not to do so. Part of my record visit was a check list of "bad habits". I am also inclined to "tap" my teeth in time to music because my foot tapping and finger tapping drove everyone mad.

[Kipepeo]

Jem, some of my blankets do have bald spots. My daughter catches me doing this picking and she'll tell me to stop. My reply is usually something like "it's such a good pick!" When I did this as a kid I would toss the picks behind my bed. My mom used to always comment on the fuzz back there. Bad and quite silly habit, but better than boogers, I guess!

Bikerchick, save them for me. As you can imagine, pills on a sweater drive me insane.

This thread has me totally cracking up. It's really turned into a sort of confessional...how apropos considering we have a new pontiff!

[Angel269]

Off subject to a degree but my hubby likes silky labels, he will be sat at pc and will be running his fingers over any label in the side of a top-goes back to when he was a baby apparently.

[jem]

Anna,

I think it is important that your ortho is aware of your thumb sucking, since (s)he will need to know what other forces are being applied to your teeth apart from by your braces. It may be that the thumb sucking will counteract the work of the braces on the teeth affected, or cause them to move slightly differently from the way the ortho has planned.

You needn't be embarrassed with your ortho re the thumb sucking.(s)he will have heard the same story many times. And orthos must surely love thumb suckers - they provide them with loads of business!

You may find it easier if you email or write to your ortho. That way the subject will have been raised before you see him/her which will be easier than face to face. Also that way you will not be in danger of backing out.

All the best

Jem

[Anna5]

Dear all,

Thank you very much for all your loving, encouraging and wise messages. I agree with you all that my ortho should know about my thumbsucking and my hard time to get rid of this habit. As you, Jem, also wrote, I read somewhere on the internet that the opposite forces of braces and thumbsucking can be very bad for the teeth. Not only will the thumbsucking counteract the braces, the opposite forces can be be detrimental to the teeth to such an extent that they may even become loose. And I defnitetely don't want that!! I am very afraid that this may actually happen, but on the other side I don't manage to kick off the habit completely (except with strong sleeping pills for the night, but I don't want to replace my thumbsucking by another addiction). I think I definitely need some help. Maybe that fence/ thumb crib is a good idea, but I am a bit afraid of that as well. Will I be able to sleep with that device in? Will I 'survive' if I never can be thumbsucking anymore, even not for a few seconds? (it may sound mad for you, but it really is an addiction....). Will anybody notice that device? I already have a hard time people noticing my braces let alone a thumb crib!!
That is a very good idea, Jem, to write or email my ortho about the thumbsucking, because I think I still don't dare to tell him face to face next time I go in there. I think I should do that and just wait for his advise....

Greetings from Anna

[Bikerchick85]

Hello Again, Anna!! Yes you will definitely be able to sleep with that device in. It doesn't feel as foreign as you'd think it would It actually didn't take long for me to stop with it. You may have a few nites where it is hard to fall asleep, but then you'll get the hang of it. I didn't wear it the whole year I had braces the first time, but I'm sure this varies from person to person. I also remember it not being very noticeable to other people. I would have to open my mouth wide for people to see it. I was self-conscious about my braces at first too. This is a normal feeling especially since you are only about 2 weeks in. Soon you won't give a hoot what others think of them! I know I don't! I smile widely and laugh with my mouth open.. no need to hide it.
I agree that Jem has an awesome idea with the email! So much easier to write it all out and not speak face to face initally. I hope you find the courage to tell him. We are all supporting you here!!

Jem, some of my blankets do have bald spots. My daughter catches me doing this picking and she'll tell me to stop. My reply is usually something like "it's such a good pick!" When I did this as a kid I would toss the picks behind my bed. My mom used to always comment on the fuzz back there. Bad and quite silly habit, but better than boogers, I guess!

Bikerchick, save them for me. As you can imagine, pills on a sweater drive me insane.

This thread has me totally cracking up. It's really turned into a sort of confessional...how apropos considering we have a new pontiff!

Kipepeo, I went to sleep last nite laughing out loud about this thread!! It has turned into a confessional!! I love it! BTW.. I have some fuzzy sweaters too!!
And since we are all spilling the beans here.. and since you mentioned it, Kip.. as a kid I was the one putting boogers EVERYWHERE!!! My parents bed, my bed, the couch, and car seats!!! LMBO!!!

[Anna5]

Hello Bikerchick! Once again, thanks for your encouraging message! I was just feeling a bit depressed about it all and wondered whether I will ever be able to stop thumbsucking, so it was great to read your message. How good of you that you stopped thumbsucking in a couple of nights! But you were surely forced to it by the device I have been trying for weeks now, but still don't succeed to fall asleep without thumbsucking (therefore I take sleeping pills now). But I think I had better stop taking pills and just try it! After some sleepless nights I might find a way to find asleep without my thumb and it would be a great feeling to have overcome this habit! I am still not looking forward to that device, but your message definitely encouraged me, it is at least not as bad as I thought!