The patented, FDA - listed, ThumbGuard™ appliance is an effective and easy to use way to stop thumbsucking. It was designed with three things in mind:
1. Make it impossible for the child to suck their thumb when the appliance is on;
2. Make it very difficult for a child to remove it;
3. Make it as unrestrictive and as fun to wear as possible.

When a child begins thumbsucking, a seal is created around the thumb with the lips. Without this seal, there is no suction, which is the primary source of pleasure in thumbsucking.

To prevent this from happening, the tubular part of the device, which goes over the child's thumb, must always be larger in diameter than the thumb. When the child's lips seal the tubular part on the outside, the gap (or space) between thumb and tube on the inside keeps the air flowing, thus breaking the seal. This removes the pleasure from thumbsucking, without causing any pain or discomfort.

It's very important to secure the appliance properly, so that the child is not able to remove it (especially at night when the temptation to suck is the greatest). With this in mind, we recommend that at the beginning of the treatment (for a period of 5-7 days) you fit the ThumbGuard™ appliance (that is the clear plastic appliance itself, not the wristband) on the child's hand a bit tighter. If there are any questions regarding how to fit it on a child hand, please visit our FAQ's.

Another important condition for success is the consistent and uninterrupted use of the appliance for the entire duration of the treatment. The appliance must be worn during all possible times when your child may be tempted to suck his / her thumb. The best results are achieved when the appliance is worn around the clock for four weeks with daily removal for cleaning. 

In 1995, an evaluation made by an independent dental research organization found that treatment with ThumbGuard™ is successful in 90% of all cases.1 Based on this and other reports, we continue to improve the efficacy of the product while making it more comfortable, and, as a result, the product became even more successful. 

NOTE: If you feel that your child is either larger or smaller than the average size for a given age group, or you have any doubts as to what is the correct size, see question 9 of the faq's for a sizing chart.

ThumbGuard™  is made out of a soft, clear, non-toxic, medical-grade plastic material, which minimally restricts the child's activity when in use. It is secured on the child's hand by multicolored wristbands, which are fun for children to wear and allow them to choose a new color every day. These wristbands or bracelets are lockable on a child's wrist, so that the child would not be able to remove the ThumbGuard™ device without the guardian knowing. The treatment kit includes 2 ThumbGuard™ appliances, 60 colorful and lockable bracelets, an informational CD and written instructions. 

You can order the ThumbGuard™ here.

We are confident that ThumbGuard™ will also work for you!