TGuard is the brand name for a medical device used to stop chronic thumb sucking among children and young adults.
Referred to commonly by dentists as a ThumbGuard, the company claims that it is the most effective removable appliance therapy used to stop and prevent thumb sucking.
By breaking the suction, the child ceases to receive pleasure, and thus, after 3 to 4 weeks of continuous use, stops thumb sucking altogether.
The product is made out of a soft, flexible, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-listed plastic, and thus, is not designed to guard the thumb, but rather, to provide a means for air to flow which can then interrupt the habit.
[4] The American Dental Association, or ADA, does not endorse painting bitterants, piquants, or otherwise unpleasant substances on children's nails to inhibit the habit.