KATJA
When I was a young girl, I sucked my thumb very much. The whole night and almost the whole day. When I was 7 years old, my upper teeth were to far outward and my lower teeth were too much backward. I wanted to stop thumb sucking, but I couldn't resist it. Then I went to the Ortho with my mum. The Ortho had a long talk with me, to make sure, I really wanted to stop. We made the deal, every day I didn't suck my thumb, I got a little present from my parents. But it didn't work. I couldn't resist to suck my thumb.
After four weeks of trying, I got braces from the ortho. The removable brace on my upper jaw, pulled my upper teeth backward and it had sharp spurs behind my upper teeth. When I tried to put my thumb in my mouth, the spurs stung in my thumb and so, I couldn't suck my thumb. And on my lower teeth, I got a removable brace which pushed my teeth more forward. I had to wear the braces the whole day and the whole night, also at meals. Eating gave some difficulties. The braces disturbed and food came between my front teeth and the spurs. Also my speech was affected. I had trouble with the S, the T and the L, for example. With the S and the T, I couldn't slide my tongue, to the right point, because the spurs were in the way. And with the L, the spurs pricked in my tongue while it was moving upward. But every night, the upper brace fell out of my mouth (or I pushed it out when I was asleep). And at daytime, I almost always 'forgot' to put my braces back after brushing my teeth. So, after two months of 'wearing' braces, I still sucked my thumb very often.
The Ortho got an other plan. I would still wear the removable brace on my lower teeth, but after my upper teeth, she made a fixed crib, with sharp spurs again. So, the speech problems went on and this time I couldn't take it out and 'forget' to put it back. But, because my lower teeth were still to much backward, I actually bit with my lower teeth and the spurs. After two weeks, the spurs and crib were damaged very much and didn't do there job anymore. So I sucked my thumb again for hours a day. And two days later, my lower brace broke, while I was wearing it. 3 weeks after my last visit, I saw the ortho again. She wasn't mad at me and asked if I still wanted to stop sucking. I said 'yes'.
She glued fixed braces on my lower teeth, to pull them forward and she put 4 little spurs on them, which stuck out just a little bit above my lower teeth, but it was very well noticeable for my thumb. And after my upper teeth, she put a new crib, without spurs, but lower this time. The space between my front teeth and the crib, she filled up with some kind of tasteless rubber. She filled it till the underside of my upper teeth. And it worked. It was totally unable to suck my thumb. And it couldn't damage. But now, there was an other problem. It was hard to eat and it was extremely difficult to speak. Actually, nobody could understand what I said. Not even my parents. And I was 7, so I couldn't write very well what I wanted to say. It was very frustrating, that nobody understood me.
Six days later, to the ortho again. She removed the rubber, the crib and the little spurs and glued also fixed braces on my upper teeth. She said, she would use the last possibility, till then, it never failed. She used some metal wire and wired my braces (and at the same time my teeth, of course) together. After two days, I had learn to speak very well, with my closed jaws and eating liquid food, was not a big deal. And it was of course unable to put my thumb in my mouth, so I could nothing else do than stop sucking.
After six weeks, the ortho unlocked my jaws, to try if I have really stopped. The braces them self stayed in place. It took me almost 5 days before I could use my jaw normal again. Just in time, because the next day, it was my 8th birthday. I was happy my jaws were open again, because I think that liquid cake wouldn't taste too well. A few days, everything went fine, but then I started again. Not as much as in the past, only an hour of 5,6 a day, but I wanted to stop sucking completely. Back to the ortho and again locked jaws and much metal in my mouth. You know, some people reacted very strange at my wired jaws.
After four weeks of locked jaws, we tried it again. This time I succeeded. I never sucked my thumb again.
And the fixed braces? I am 14 years old now and two weeks ago, the ortho has removed the braces. My teeth are straight now, but I have to wear 2 retainers at daytime (also at meals). It gives me a strange lisp, but I don't mind it. Some people say, it sounds cute. From an hour of 8 p.m., till the next morning about half past 7, I have to wear an activator. It is hard to speak with it, but I also don't mind that. The biggest part of the wear time is sleeping time. The activator I have to wear at least 4 years and the retainers at least 3 years.
And thumbsuckers, don't become afraid of my story, because a good ortho doesn't do this things, if the patient doesn't want to stop sucking.
After four weeks of trying, I got braces from the ortho. The removable brace on my upper jaw, pulled my upper teeth backward and it had sharp spurs behind my upper teeth. When I tried to put my thumb in my mouth, the spurs stung in my thumb and so, I couldn't suck my thumb. And on my lower teeth, I got a removable brace which pushed my teeth more forward. I had to wear the braces the whole day and the whole night, also at meals. Eating gave some difficulties. The braces disturbed and food came between my front teeth and the spurs. Also my speech was affected. I had trouble with the S, the T and the L, for example. With the S and the T, I couldn't slide my tongue, to the right point, because the spurs were in the way. And with the L, the spurs pricked in my tongue while it was moving upward. But every night, the upper brace fell out of my mouth (or I pushed it out when I was asleep). And at daytime, I almost always 'forgot' to put my braces back after brushing my teeth. So, after two months of 'wearing' braces, I still sucked my thumb very often.
The Ortho got an other plan. I would still wear the removable brace on my lower teeth, but after my upper teeth, she made a fixed crib, with sharp spurs again. So, the speech problems went on and this time I couldn't take it out and 'forget' to put it back. But, because my lower teeth were still to much backward, I actually bit with my lower teeth and the spurs. After two weeks, the spurs and crib were damaged very much and didn't do there job anymore. So I sucked my thumb again for hours a day. And two days later, my lower brace broke, while I was wearing it. 3 weeks after my last visit, I saw the ortho again. She wasn't mad at me and asked if I still wanted to stop sucking. I said 'yes'.
She glued fixed braces on my lower teeth, to pull them forward and she put 4 little spurs on them, which stuck out just a little bit above my lower teeth, but it was very well noticeable for my thumb. And after my upper teeth, she put a new crib, without spurs, but lower this time. The space between my front teeth and the crib, she filled up with some kind of tasteless rubber. She filled it till the underside of my upper teeth. And it worked. It was totally unable to suck my thumb. And it couldn't damage. But now, there was an other problem. It was hard to eat and it was extremely difficult to speak. Actually, nobody could understand what I said. Not even my parents. And I was 7, so I couldn't write very well what I wanted to say. It was very frustrating, that nobody understood me.
Six days later, to the ortho again. She removed the rubber, the crib and the little spurs and glued also fixed braces on my upper teeth. She said, she would use the last possibility, till then, it never failed. She used some metal wire and wired my braces (and at the same time my teeth, of course) together. After two days, I had learn to speak very well, with my closed jaws and eating liquid food, was not a big deal. And it was of course unable to put my thumb in my mouth, so I could nothing else do than stop sucking.
After six weeks, the ortho unlocked my jaws, to try if I have really stopped. The braces them self stayed in place. It took me almost 5 days before I could use my jaw normal again. Just in time, because the next day, it was my 8th birthday. I was happy my jaws were open again, because I think that liquid cake wouldn't taste too well. A few days, everything went fine, but then I started again. Not as much as in the past, only an hour of 5,6 a day, but I wanted to stop sucking completely. Back to the ortho and again locked jaws and much metal in my mouth. You know, some people reacted very strange at my wired jaws.
After four weeks of locked jaws, we tried it again. This time I succeeded. I never sucked my thumb again.
And the fixed braces? I am 14 years old now and two weeks ago, the ortho has removed the braces. My teeth are straight now, but I have to wear 2 retainers at daytime (also at meals). It gives me a strange lisp, but I don't mind it. Some people say, it sounds cute. From an hour of 8 p.m., till the next morning about half past 7, I have to wear an activator. It is hard to speak with it, but I also don't mind that. The biggest part of the wear time is sleeping time. The activator I have to wear at least 4 years and the retainers at least 3 years.
And thumbsuckers, don't become afraid of my story, because a good ortho doesn't do this things, if the patient doesn't want to stop sucking.