Fidget toys are a decent distraction, but they don’t quite hit the same spot for stress.
Funny enough, my kiddo actually took to a squishy ball at bedtime after we tried all sorts of things. Didn’t think it would work, but somehow it did—maybe just having something in hand helped? I totally get that it doesn’t feel the same as thumb sucking though. Sometimes you just gotta experiment... what works for one person can be a total miss for another.
I totally get what you mean about experimenting—I've tried stress balls and those fidget cubes, but nothing really took the edge off like thumb sucking did when I was younger. Now that I have braces, my orthodontist warned me it could mess up my teeth alignment, so I had to quit. Did you ever notice if your kid’s teeth shifted from using the squishy ball? Sometimes I wonder if those things are actually safer for your bite.
Funny you mention the squishy ball—I’ve never heard of anyone’s bite getting messed up by one of those. My grandkids are obsessed with them, and as far as I can tell, their teeth are fine… though maybe the balls just end up lost under the couch more than they get used. Thumb sucking was a whole different story for me growing up; my dentist was always on my case about it. I get that urge for comfort, especially when stress hits, but braces definitely complicate things. I’d say the fidget toys are probably a safer bet for your teeth, even if they’re not quite as satisfying.
That’s interesting about the squishy balls—I’ve noticed my niece and nephew are obsessed with them too, and their teeth seem totally fine. I’m with you on thumb sucking being a whole different animal, especially once braces get involved. My orthodontist used to warn me about how the constant pressure from thumb sucking could actually shift teeth out of alignment, which I definitely didn’t want after all those years in braces.
It’s wild how something as simple as a comfort habit can end up having such a big impact on your bite. I get why fidget toys are suggested instead—they’re way less likely to mess with tooth positioning or cause issues like open bite or palatal changes. They might not feel quite as soothing, but if it means avoiding extra trips to the orthodontist, that’s a trade-off I’d take.
Honestly, finding something that helps you relax but doesn’t mess up your hard-earned dental work is a win in my book. If fidget toys work even half as well for stress, they’re probably worth keeping around... even if they do end up under the couch half the time.
I’ve got to say, I had a similar conversation with my grandson about thumb sucking after he got his braces off. He was so used to the habit from when he was little that it was almost automatic at bedtime. Like you said,
That’s exactly what we were worried about. He switched to one of those stress putty things instead, and it seemed to help—though I still find bits of it stuck to the carpet sometimes. Has anyone noticed if certain fidget toys work better than others for breaking habits like this?“the constant pressure from thumb sucking could actually shift teeth out of alignment, which I definitely didn’t want after all those years in braces.”
