I have a little girl who has sucked two fingers, palm up, since she was an infant. She now only resorts to it at bed time, or when she is tired. We have noticed her teeth have moved because of this, so we would like to stop it soon. We have looked for the old "bitter fingers" liquid you could buy to put on them but it's no where to be found. Any suggestions to ease the transition?
Well, I have decided to go the "ease out of it" route. After thinking about how it's only at bed time and sleepy time, I figured it would be a little too harsh to try and drop it all together. I think I will try using a positive reinforcement when she is a little older and able to understand. I just want to be sure to stop it before we lose any teeth. Thank you for your ideas and responses.
My step-daughter did this and her daddy would yell at her for it...I told him she needed to do thid for what ever reason and she would one day stop..and she did...she was around 5, but she stopped..she NEEDS this for whatever reason..let her continue.. H. S.
Go to the pet store and get "bitter apple" or some sort of bitter spray, not all pet stores have the same kind. It is kid safe, and it tastes terrible! It worked great for my son.
My daughter sucks her two fingers also, not palm up. She is now 6 and the dentist said as long as she does it before she loses the two front teeth she will be fine, it won't mess her teeth up. But, her two front teeth are both very loose and she says she can't stop sucking them. The dentist showed me a metal bar they can install on her two back teeth that will make it impossible for her to suck her fingers. At 2 1/2 I would not worry too much. I will not use the liquid, or hot sauce or any of those things suggested. I think they are not safe and just plain mean.
My niece sucked her fingers until she was 4. Finally her parents decided to put an end to it. They tried the bitter polish but that didn't stop her. So they put gloves on her hands. She didn't like the texture or taste and soon stopped. Trynitie would suck her fingers all the time so she was basically living in gloves for a few weeks. Since your daugter only sucks them at bedtime you could just put them on at night.
Does she have a piggy bank? If you don't want to swat her hand, then you could make her give you one coin everytime you catch her sucking on her fingers
I don't have a suggestion but wanted to say I was "excited" to see someone else with a child that sucks the 2 first fingers palm up. :) GL!
Try vinegar or lemon juice
My oldest son was a thumbsucker and his baby teeth were protrude-ish and pallet arched but as his adult teeth have come in they seem to be ok and his pallet has straightened out some with growing. Like your daughter around 2-3 years old he too would only use his thumb at night as a comfort. I let him ease his way out of it allowing him to suck at night or when in need of comfort/calming down - not allowing him to suck at any given moment. He's now 13, 5'6" 135# and I still catch him sucking on occasion in his sleep(shhhh!:)) but his teeth have turned out ok. So it's up to you - start a battle by making her stop or ease her out of it by making it seem like it's on her terms?
If the bitters doesn't work, I had a friend who chewed on her fingers. She mixed clear polish with hot sauce.
Good Luck!
My boyfriend's daughter had a similiar problem, she is 8 and sucks on two fingers, palm down. She is now wearing braces due to the damage that it caused. The orthodonist had her parents put popsicle sticks on the two fingers and tape them together so that she could not bend them and it would be uncomfortable to have in her mouth. They would put this on her in the evenings and leave it on during the night. It wasn't long until she stopped sucking on her fingers.
Meijers has the liquid. It is with all the manicure stuff.
