Clinic for children who suck their thumbs

By pwiltshire

A free clinic offering advice to parents of children who suck their thumb is opening in Bath.

Staff at Bath Orthodontics in Sydney Road says the service will be the first of its kind in the country.

The Friday afternoon sessions will be designed for children aged 10 and under, and offer what advice to parents and children on how to avoid long-term problems caused by regular thumb-sucking, such front teeth which stick out.

It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of 10-years-olds who regularly suck their thumb have some kind of misalignment of the teeth, which often requires a course of orthodontic treatment.

Specialist orthodontist Eric Tonge said: "In every form of medicine, prevention is always better than the cure.

"However, until now in orthodontics we have been treatment-obsessed. What we're hoping these clinics will do is to catch the problem early enough to prevent children from having to have possible extractions or extensive treatment later on."

The clinics will be designed to be fun for children, offering a relaxed and "blame-free environment" that aims to put them at ease.

Mother-of-three Helen Brady has already used the firm's services.

She said: "It made such a difference for my daughter to be told by someone other than me that she needed to stop sucking her thumb – it virtually happened overnight."

Clinics will be held on Friday afternoons. For more details, visit www.great-smile.co.uk.