Thumb Suckers

DS never wanted a pacifier and I didn't even offer him one until he was 3 months old because before that I had been breastfeeding and pretty much just let him use me as a pacifier hoping it would boost my supply, but it didn't and I stopped producing. Anyway, he started sucking his thumb at about 4 weeks old. He's 20 months old now and still sucks his thumb, and I hadn't thought about trying to break him of it at all because I thought he was too young. He only does it when he's sleeping or really tired, but he does have all his teeth already aside from his 2 year molars, which are coming in right now. My uncle sucked his thumb so much he had to have braces put on and his thumb cauterized several times, but I sucked my thumb and quit on my own when I was like 3. I'm not considering it at all yet, but at what point should I think about trying to get him to stop?

My parents tried to put hot sauce and things like that on my thumb so when i would suck it it would scare me away haha, of course I was like five and six at this point but that didn't even work for me. I wound up liking everything they tried. I did have serious dental issues because of it. I had to wear braces for four years and it was so painful. My thumb wasn't too damaged but you can see the difference in my thumbs when ya look at them. Does he have a blankie or anything that helps trigger it? I had to have my blanket at night and rub it on my nose while I sucked my thumb. They finally got the blanket taken away from me and I guess I learned to stop. Have you asked his pedi about ways to try and get him to stop? I know getting someone to stop sucking on something that's attacked has to be a lot harder than a pacifier.

Quoting I'mOnFire:" My parents tried to put hot sauce and things like that on my thumb so when i would suck it it would scare ... [snip!] ... get him to stop? I know getting someone to stop sucking on something that's attacked has to be a lot harder than a pacifier."

Yes, anything that's soft or fluffy he has to have to go to sleep. If he even sees anything that looks soft though he sticks his thumb in his mouth and lays down. He's extremely texture sensitive and his doctor has said to not to discourage it by taking anything away because he's so borderline autistic. I haven't asked him yet how to go about breaking him of it because I hadn't really thought about it until yesterday. I'll bring it up at his 2 year check up.