Thumb sucking is a habit that a lot of children develop, and although it does look adorable it can cause an open bite and affect the teeth and facial form over time. If stopped while the child is still growing, the open bite can usually self-correct. I have a 4 year old that sucked his thumb from infancy; around the age of 3 I started noticing that he was developing an open bite. I tried MANY ways to get him to stop sucking his thumb but found it very difficult…until I found a product by Hoof called “Stop the Bite.” I found it at Walmart for under $3.00; it’s a liquid that you paint on the child’s nail(s) – it tastes terrible but does the trick. I used it on my son and in just 2 days he no longer sucked his thumb and over time his open bite corrected. It’s supposed to help with nail biting, but it worked great for thumb sucking. – from Prycilla M. (Dental Assistant) |  |