Habit Breaking Appliance

Oral Habit-Breaking Appliances for Kids

What are oral habit-breaking appliances for kids? 

Oral habit-breaking appliances are great and useful tools that are specially designed for young children to break their oral habits. This can include thumb sucking or tongue thrusting, leading to dental problems in the future. 

Oral habit-breaking appliances, along with helping prevent further dental issues, can also be beneficial if the child has speech issues like lisping or difficulty pronouncing difficult words or sounds.
 

Who needs Oral Habit-Breaking Appliances for Kids?
Children who show constant bad oral habits which have not been stopped on their own need oral habit-breaking appliances. This is crucial because ‘prevention is better than cure’ and can be detrimental to the dental health of young ones. Here are some of the common habits that a parent or guardian should notice: 

• Thumb or finger sucking

It is often seen that young children suck on their thumb or fingers when they are aged 1-4 years old. If they naturally stop sucking the thumb, then it is great, but beyond that age, an oral habit-breaking appliance is needed. This can cause misaligned teeth and a malformed palate. 

• Tongue thrusting

In this, the child develops a habit of thrusting the tongue between the teeth while swallowing and speaking. This can cause dental problems as well. 

• Mouth breathing

Though this seems like a common thing when the child is breathing from their mouth as opposed to their nose, they can develop bad oral hygiene. Since an open mouth can be a gateway to germs and bacteria which can cause dry mouth and tooth decay. 

• Teeth grinding

Teeth grinding can cause sensitivity, tooth wear and tear, tooth weakness, and jaw pain. 
 

How to make the child use Habit-Breaking Appliances?
Since children can be stubborn in wearing and using habit-breaking appliances, they should be explained their needs with love and patience. These are some tips to make the process smooth:

• Explain the Purpose

If the child knows the purpose of the appliance and how it will help them in the long run, then they are more likely to use them as opposed to just forcing that on them. 

• Involvement in the process

Let them ask questions and choose the appliance’s color (if applicable). This with help them get acquainted with the oral appliance. 

• Positive Remarks

If your child is using the appliance well, then make sure to praise their effort from time to time. You can even make a chart and use stars and stickers to show how they are doing.

• Ask if they are in Discomfort

It is important to ask or notice if the child is getting uncomfortable with the appliance. If this is the case, then consult with your dentist again, who can tweak or readjust the appliance. 

• Patience and Love

Since it takes some time to break a habit, the child cannot just comply with the appliance in an instant. That is why having patience is the key to ensuring that the child breaks the habit.
 

What are the different oral habit-breaking appliances for kids?
There are tons of oral habit-breaking appliances for kids that cater to different issues:

• Thumb/finger appliance

This type of appliance is for children who suck on their thumb or finger. The child is given this device to put in their mouths to stop them from sucking their thumbs or fingers.

• Tongue crib 

This appliance is placed behind the upper front teeth of the mouth. The metal bars are useful in stopping the child from pushing their tongue forward.

• Palatal crib

In this appliance as well, the metal crib is placed behind the upper front teeth so that the child doesn’t thrust their tongue upward. 

• Lip bumper

This is used to make the teeth and jaw aligned appropriately by pushing the lower teeth forward and the upper teeth backward. 

• Headgear

This is used very less and only in cases where there are severe malocclusions or misaligned teeth and jaws. This has to be worn for a short period of time throughout the day.
 

Procedure for oral habit-breaking appliance
Here is the procedure for the oral habit-breaking appliance: 

Step 1: Consultation with your dentist is the first step if you notice your child forming any of these habits stated above. 

Step 2: Evaluation and right guidance by the dentist are done, who then recommends the oral habit-breaking appliance that is suitable for the child. 

Step 3: After scans and impressions are done, create a custom appliance. Then it is properly fitted in the child’s mouth.

Step 4: You can check if your child is responding well to the treatment, and in the case of any discomfort, you can contact your dentist. 

Step 5: Gradually, the appliance is removed over the required period of time, which can be weeks to months. 
 

Which is the best dental clinic in Delhi?
The best dental clinic in the West Delhi area is Yudhisther’s Dental Care which offers unparalleled dental services to all age groups. Here are some reasons that make them the best:

• Correct guidance
• Modern-day facilities and equipment
• A host of services
• Comfortable environment
• Less waiting time
• Prompt response