DS's thumb sucking - this much damage in one week?

DS, 5, has a bad habit that he inherited from DH, thumb sucking. We have tried so much to stop him but he doesn't realise he is doing it so it makes it even more difficult. I freaked out this morning because after staying with his grandparents for a week I noticed a huge difference with his teeth! The top ones are bending out, bottom ones leaning in. I swear his teeth looked nothing like that 1 week ago! He has (had) such lovely teeth.
Now I'm so angry with DH's parents - they always go on about how we shouldn't be so strict on trying to stop him, so I can imagine how much DS was sucking his thumb whilst staying with them. But in saying that, I can't image that much damage can possibly be done in only 1 week?? Or can it?

Does anyone have any tips on how to help stop DS from doing any more damage?!

My first thought was that maybe his teeth are starting to loosen up and getting ready to fall out soon, so the thumb-sucking has just pushed them a little more than usual? It seems doubtful one week of sucking his thumb could do that much damage normally... Otherwise :dunno:

DS2 is 4 1/2 and I have no idea when he will stop sucking his thumb. Our dentist isn't concerned at all - he says that it's only an issue when the adult teeth come through and that most kids stop by themselves before then. I'm thinking that we are fast running out of time - although DS1 hasn't lost any teeth yet so I might be stressing too much. Anyway, he also said that trying to make them stop can have the opposite effect. I am thinking at this stage that I will see how he goes when he starts school next year. Hopefully that will stop him!

Back to your question - I don't think that could happen in a week unless they were already loose. But I don't know.

i doubt that they would change in one week unless they are wobbly....
DD1 sucked her thumb as a dental nurse i was horrified, we stopped her at 2.3yrs, the damage has been done unfortunatly, her palate has narrowed as a result...now tahts our story, many others like mantaray dont have the issues we now have.
to stop DD we used sports tape around her thumb and being only 2 she couldnt undo it, it works really quickly.
Id take him to the dentist and ask their opinion re the damage.

DD is 5 and still sucking her thumb, she has since she was a couple of months old and there is no sign of it stopping anytime soon.

I use to fight it now I've relaxed about it, I had hoped being at school would stop it but it's only stopped it while she's actually AT school. For now we're going to just play out the rest of the year and hope it just stops.

:hug: I kind of wish she liked dummies so I could just throw them away, I think she'll miss her thumbs though :p