2021… the year to say goodbye to your child's thumb sucking habit!

A patient of Dr. McEntire recently found success with her “habit appliance” and no longer sucks her thumb!

There is no better time than now to help your child say goodbye to their thumb sucking habit. Dr. McEntire’s oldest child needed some gentle assistance with this, as she was seen sucking her thumb even in the womb! He shares his story below.

“Arden began sucking her thumb as an infant, and 4.5 years later we decided it was time for the "thumb habit" to stop. My wife and I noticed negative changes with her teeth due to her thumb sucking, and there was an increasing tendency toward breathing through her mouth while sleeping. We tried a few things, however we couldn't get her excited about the "special" nail polish, sleeping with a glove, or long sleeves tied in knots. We pitched the idea of getting a chance to be one of daddy's patients, and we suddenly sparked her interest!

I first used our 3D scanner to capture an impression of her teeth. Our lab printed the impression and even found a special purple roller to go on Arden's very own Bluegrass Appliance. This type of appliance simply blocks the area in the roof of the mouth where the thumb would sit. It also serves as a reminder of where the tongue is supposed to rest, as "tongue thrusting" habits can commonly follow a resolved thumb habit. The purpose of the appliance is not to punish and there are no sharp prongs or irritating edges.

During the first week, Arden certainly had moments where she missed the comforting feeling from the thumb, but the appliance was a success. After a few weeks, she didn’t mention it anymore.

There are many ways to kick a habit like this! The bluegrass produced from a quick scan (no messy impressions), worked best for us.”