Thumb vs Dummy - which is "better"?
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15202
Printed Date: 14 September 2025 at 3:01am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Thumb vs Dummy - which is "better"?
Posted By: sally belly
Subject: Thumb vs Dummy - which is "better"?
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 12:36pm
In the last week Liam has found his thumb & loves nothing more than to suck, suck, suck - much to his Daddy's "horror"  .
Is it ok for him to thumb suck or would he be better with a dummy? He doesn't take a dummy but I have only tried one kind with him. DH is concerned b/c I sucked my thumb until I was 8 or so & had to wear braces to correct my wonky teeth as a result. I hate to think what braces would cost these days... 
Any thoughts/ideas most appreciated. -------------    
|
Replies:
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:03pm
|
There are arguements for an against dummies and thumb sucking and I suppose it is what suits you best. Jack started sucking his thumb when he first 'found' it but stopped after awhile so Liam may grow out of it once the novelty wears off. And just because he sucks his thumb now doesn't necessarily mean he will suck it for as long as you did. You could try introducing a dummy, I tried with Jack and he couldn't get the hang of it.
Sorry I have just realised that this is probably not much help! ------------- Lindsey 
|
Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:03pm
|
Good question. Mac takes the dummy but has just found his thumb and am unsure which one i should be encouraging! -------------  
|
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:11pm
|
i think(dont quote me) that thumbs are worse for teeth but thats if it is done all the time...personally I'd rather a dummy but if he wont take it that is hard obviously.. :( Ethan sucks fingers and dummy atm:) lol ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: CuriousG
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:23pm
|
Yeah, I was told the same thing that dummy's were better for their teeth. But in saying that, I sucked my thumb for years (till I was about 9!) and my teeth are as straight as a dime and I didn't have braces. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: BellaBoo
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:26pm
Ooh good question! Bella has found her thumb too (sometimes both at the same time!). I am trying to encourage the dummy more as that is controlled by me and I can decide when she is too stop using it. Gosh I sound mean ------------- http://lilypie.com">   http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:29pm
|
I constantly hear that thumb sucking is bad for teeth but I've never seen a study that proves it. Is it proven or just hearsay?
My DH had a dummy and sucked his thumb as a child and has straight teeth. I didn't have a dummy and didn't suck my thumb and my teeth are slightly forward. This is a legitimate interested question - I'm not trying to be rude (it's so darn hard to convey with text alone) -------------  
 
|
Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:29pm
|
I sucked my thumb until I was 11 and didn't need braces. I did have to be hypnotised to stop it though! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:48pm
|
i didnt suck my thumb and i had braces ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: BellaBoo
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:53pm
|
I sucked my thumb and really could do with braces.
Dummy or thumb? Which ever works best! Both have pros and cons ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: The_Stuarts
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:55pm
|
IMO dummy is better. If your kids a sucker (and most are) I'd try and get them to suck a dummy because when it's time to stop the habit it's easier (and less cruel) to get rid of your childs dummy than to get rid of their thumb ------------- http://lilypie.com">   http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:56pm
|
I sucked my thumb until I was 12 (yeah embarassing!!) and I needed braces because I created such an overbite with the pressing from my thumb.
Daniel doesn't take a dummy, he sucks his thumb on ocassions but not often anymore and so I don't worry about it. I'd rather he sucked his thumb than a dummy. |
Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:58pm
|
Well if you talk to my sons dentist she will tell you to get a dummy, at least you can throw that away.
Conor is going to have to have extensive dental work because he was a thumb sucker, and I let him do it because I thought it looked cute. I kick myself everyday. He's been having work on his teeth since last year and is still having work done. He hates it and it hurts and he is so self conscious about the way he looks. So don't encourage the thumb if you can help it. ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
|
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 1:58pm
|
i hate the look of dummies...and ella luckily is a thumb sucker...does it too self soothe and worked beautifully cause she could always find her own thumb - whereas a lot of dummy babies get upset at night etc when they lose it...
i sucked my thumb (and big toe!) and never needed braces... we WILL be moving it out of mouth a lot if she still does it in public etc and not to self soothe in years to come...altho she doesnt have thumb in mouth unless tired etc usually so we hope it will be ok |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 2:02pm
|
I dont know that there is a definite link between thumb sucking and braces. Maybe for some but definately not all. I guess with a dummy you can throw it away. But as BS says, a thumb is easier to find as its always on their hand (unless The_stuarts have anything to do with it ).
Tom has a dummy and we only allow it for bed, the car and if he is out and really tired and I want to settle him. However...if the dummy is lying around and he finds it...pop! straight in the mouth! |
Posted By: EmDee
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 2:47pm
|
I was a thumb sucker until about 8 or 9 and I could do with braces! Ollie sucks his thumb too. We tried him with a dummy but he wasn't interested. I took him to the dentist a month or so back (just for a check-up) and she said not to worry too much at this point, its more when the adult teeth come in that it can do damage. In saying that my boy already has crooked teeth anyway as he has an extra tooth! ------------- DS 8 DD 6 DS 4 DD 2 |
Posted By: Rackhell
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 4:46pm
|
Mine sucks on her tip of her tongue! yip, not thumb - tongue, and has an ulcer to prove it.
Any ideas on how to get her to take one of the acceptable pacifiers? 
|
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 4:53pm
|
My brother sucked his thumb till he was 11, and he has perfect teeth, none of the rest of us did and we all needed braces.
Dummies are easier to get rid of, but at the end of the day, does it matter? They won't suck their thumb forever, eventually they'll realise that their friends think it's dumb! -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
|
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 5:01pm
|
Hehe .. good point! It took us three different types of dummies before we found one Isabelle would accept (she is a sucker - but hasnt worked out how to hold her thumb/hand in her mouth long enough) Oh and Nuk dummies rock! ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
|
Maya wrote:Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 5:53pm
|
I've heard the buck teeth argument against thumbs and against dummies
DD1 sucks her fingers, DD2 never sucked her fingers but had reflux so we got her a dummy at 2-3mos, was weaned at about 8mos from it though cause she insisted on eating it! She now doubles her tongue over and suckles that. DD3 suckles her fist. I guess it doesn't really matter either way. I suspect it may be easier to break a dummy sucking habit at a young age (it's really not worth trying to break a finger/thumb sucking habit). But at least bubbas can find their fingers in the middle of the night! ------------- |
Posted By: 11111
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 6:59pm
|
I was a thumb sucker till my adulthood and my teeth are fine. Alan did find his for abotu 3 week's, but it wore off and he went back to his dummy I found the dummy a pain as we were up during the night if he lost it. How ever like other's have said far easier to get rind of. My Mikey is a thumb sucker has been scince day one I am not worrid he only does it when he is tired or not feeling very well. ------------- Deborah Mum to:   
|
Posted By: AnnC
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 7:38pm
|
One thing I am getting from this thread is if your child is a thumb sucker be prepared for them to be sucking it alot longer than a dummy (not always in all cases of cause) but most admitted if they were a thumb sucker they were well past 5 - 6 years old - did someone say they did till adult hood and one got hypnitised to stop. Its very rare you see a 5 year old with a dummy and I have never seen a 10 year old or adult with a dummy. I am not judging and each to their own but all my kids have been dummy sucker and mostly only for bedtime and never had one past 2 years old. so I am very pro dummy and anti thumb (just my opinion)
You can take the dummy off a child - you can't the thumb  ------------- Ann 
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10) |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 7:51pm
|
LOL my nana always gave my mum a hard time and reckoned she would end up with thumb suckers coz she wouldn't give us dummies. Mum always proved her wrong, none of us were thumb suckers - til my baby bro came along lol, and then nana never let her forget it! ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
|
Posted By: gemsmum
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 7:58pm
My dd was a chronic thumb sucker. At 4 we started telling her that big girls don't suck their thumbs during the day and she was only to suck it at bedtime. With a few nudges she got the daytime thing sorted and she self weaned herself off her nighttime sucking by the time she was 6 (before her adult teeth started coming in). Unlike friends whose children had dummies, Gem never lost her thumb in the night and was a fabulous sleeper. Oh, and we were doomed, she was sucking her thumb in her 20 week scan and found her thumb very early once born!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
|
Posted By: AnnC
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 8:08pm
|
Rhyley (well actually all my kids) were comfort suckers - even the midwife at the home commented on that with Rhyley - hence the dummy.. and we sorted the losing dummy in the night by using a dummy holder so he could find it easy.
They have actually said that dummys can help with preventing sids due to them sucking all the time - sure this is probably the same with thumbs (but can't be sure) I think this will be a life long debate and I think which ever one is best for the parent and what they are comfortable with. I had a friend who let her baby comfort suck on her finger (this is the parents finger) I was like OH my thats gonna be a hard one as they had 2 comforts - one the finger and 2 being held to sleep. But she is 2 and half and sleeps fine without the finger or the cuddles. ------------- Ann
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10) |
Posted By: NikkiB
Date Posted: 11 March 2008 at 8:49pm
|
My little man use to have a dummy (it certainly had its purpose and worked well). But I've just gone through the process of getting rid of his dummy as he kept of losing it during the night...to a stage where I was getting up almost every hour to put it back in
He has since learnt how to self settle again ------------- A very lucky mummy to two gorgeous boys: RB 3/10/2008 JB 29/12/2009 |