Advice for Stopping Thumb or Finger Sucking

This leaflet has been written to help patients stop sucking their thumb or fingers.

Why should I stop sucking my thumb?

• Your orthodontist has noticed that sucking your thumb/fingers has affected the position of your teeth
• Your teeth could improve simply by stopping now
• We may not be able to start your brace work until you have stopped.

How can I stop sucking my thumb?

• With a bit of willpower most people are able to stop sucking their thumb/fingers during the day
• The hardest times are when you are tired or when you are going to sleep
• Reminder therapies can help for these times when you are not aware that you are doing it
• These make you aware that your thumb/fingers have sneaked into your mouth and remind you to take them out.

What kind of reminder therapies are there?

• A fabric sticking plaster on the thumb/fingers – these are rough, taste bad and get very soggy when wet
• Bitter tasting nail varnish – this is sold to stop nail biting and can be bought from the chemist
• Sewing your pyjama sleeve up
• Wearing a glove or sock on your hand
• A thumb guard – online retailers stock these.

How long will it take?

• These methods usually work within a few weeks
• It does take a lot of willpower but the end results are worth it.

Contact numbers

We hope you have found this information useful, but if you have any questions or are worried about anything, please speak to the orthodontic team:

Orthodontic Department (Dorset County Hospital): 01305 2551747
Orthodontic Department (University Hospitals Dorset): 0300 019 4694

About this leaflet

Author: Mrs Pamela Ellis, Consultant Orthodontist
Updated: March 2021
Approved: April 2021
Review date: March 2025
Edition: v2

If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk