For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for October 17, 2020

Don’t worry, Liz. People probably will think you’re deaf. Or have a speech impediment.

Poor Liz…

you’re welcome, John (what appliance did he put in her anyway?)

According to the internet, speech impediments are not uncommon for the first few days until you get used to the appliance. Naturally this means we will be in for a week or two of jokes about Elizabeth’s inability to pronounce the “S” sound.

Actually, speech problems seem to last a lot longer than a week or two with braces.

Just a thought, does it really matter if she sucks her thumb, since she hasn’t ANY lower teeth to grow crooked? I mean isn’t it suction from the tongue anyways that sucks the thumb and that is located on the bottom of the mouth?

I think she’s nervous or upset about something. Stressed out. Thumb sucking relaxes her and helps her fall asleep. Maybe family counseling would help.

I had that “problem” until the 5th grade. I lost a permanent front tooth and had to wear as one type of appliance with a tooth on it. It broke me immediately of thumb sucking. My son also sucked his thumb and he dropped a glass jug while going down stairs, well onto it and cut his thumb. That broke it for him. So, sometimes some type of catastrophic event has to happen to correct the issue.

Yeab he ib…Very pothithiff!

Uh..Oh yeah…..there’s that! Sorry! :o{

Remember….No Ghost pepper or Carolina reaper sauce…folks.

Orthodontist: You can wear the retainer, or you can have crooked teeth. Me: Bring on the crooked teeth.

Nope. Nope. A thousand times Nope.

What John just did, smacks of child abuse to me. The man is a professional dentist. He hasn’t learned ANY alternative methods to help her stop sucking her thumb? As far as we know, they haven’t tried anything else, except to threaten her with the device, and then punish her for yelling at dad, by installing the device. Lynn sees this storyline as funny….it’s actually making me uncomfortable.

For bedtime not awake time.

I thought she would only wear it to bed, not all the time. So her school mates would not see it, anyway.

I don’t think she needs anything to keep her from sucking her thumb at school.

Time to pay for that Boston Original T-shirt, Elizabeth!

Check out Jan C’s post from yesterday, with an excellent summary of the types of appliances that can be used to stop thumb sucking. Looks like they are not put into place in one appointment.

It kind of leaves her mush mouthed…..boy is Dad in trouble now!

Now let us hear Elizabeth say “the sixth sick shiek’s six sick sheep”.

We had a dentist years ago that came up with a real NASTY device for this purpose. It cured most patients in one day or two. It had spikes! 8-O He had suggested it when our eldest was about 10, and a chronic thumb sucker. We declined. Our son chose the bitter “nail polish” instead.

Oh jeez. Just leave her alone. She will quit.