We create the guards you want, to help break the habits you don't.
Comfort sucking – it's all fingers and thumbs
From birth, babies instinctively root and suck without discrimination on anything near their mouths. Initially, they may suck a thumb or finger spontaneously because they brushed a hand past their lips. However, babies quickly discover that thumb sucking and finger sucking are relaxing activities. Before long, they choose to suck on their favourite digit, and the sucking habit is born.
Time to stop
Whether your child sucks on their thumb or fingers, the potential damage to the teeth is the same. While many children stop sucking their thumbs on their own by four years of age, others continue the habit past the time when their adult teeth cut through. These children are at risk of dental issues such as an overbite. They might develop eating complications if the habit alters their tooth position, pain, and difficulty speaking. Perhaps your child's dentist has already raised an eyebrow and advised that you encourage your little one to stop.
Body-focused repetitive behaviour disorder
While most of us may be guilty of biting our nails occasionally or even that troublesome hangnail, some children and adults experience a body-focused repetitive behaviour disorder. This disorder often involves the hands and can cause children and adults to bite their nails, gnaw at and consume their skin compulsively. The condition means they often have painful, infected fingers, bleeding, and scarring. The result is the same for people suffering from a skin-picking disorder (excoriation).
These disorders are often distressing for those who have them. Feelings of self-consciousness due to the appearance of their hands, self-loathing because they inflicted the damage to themselves, and low self-esteem are known to accompany the condition. Our thumb and finger guards can help prevent access to the flesh or nails while worn.
Thumb Guard and finger guard adaption
When it comes to sucking habits, you are not alone if your child sucks fingers instead of thumbs, or even both at the same time. What if your child sucks three fingers or even four? No one likes having to search through different products trying to find something to adapt. Under these circumstances, you need a thumb guard that can cover those extra fingers and still offer the same results. We like to keep things simple. You tell us your child's requirements, and we will work with you to create the guard they need.
Keeping things fastened
The same is true of fastenings. We offer three as standard, hook and loop, button, and snap. We advise that you choose the most suitable fastening for your child's abilities. The correct fastening enables them to put the guard on and take it off themselves.
Sometimes it is more appropriate that your child cannot remove the guard easily. Please do speak to us about your needs. We can offer a combination of fastenings and a host of other suggestions from parents who use our guards successfully.
If you or your child needs the help of one of our guards but is instead a skin picker or nail biter, rest assured the service is still the same. It does not matter whether the guard is for a child or for an adult, if you don't see what you need, or you have specific needs, please do not hesitate to contact us. We create the guards you want, to help break the habits you don't.