What Are The Benefits of Habit Breaking Appliances For Kids?

What Are Habit Breaking Appliances?

Many parents seek qualified dental health specialists as they want to get rid of certain habits for their kids. Habits like sucking a thumb and thrusting the tongue are completely normal in toddlers and infants. Babies even suck their thumbs when they are inside their mother’s womb. However, these habits may start to pose a threat to a kid’s natural oral and jaw growth if they continue over the first few years of their lives. 

They can cause malocclusion and other oral complications. There are special kinds of appliances that can break these habits in kids. Now let us learn more about these appliances. What exactly are they? Habit-breaking appliances can be defined as devices that are specifically made for kids. They are used to control and permanently stop bad habits or compulsive routines of kids like lip biting, nail-biting, thumb sucking, and breathing through the mouth.

Why Are They Used?

Infants and kids are more prone to developing bad and unhealthy habits. These habits cannot be allowed to continue as they continue to grow up. Here are some popular habit-breaking appliances for kids:

Fixed Palatal Crib: This habit-breaking appliance is recommended for kids whose thumb-sucking habits have continued when they are above 5 years old. This is a permanent solution to get rid of this habit.

A Tongue Crib: A tongue crib is suitable for those kids who have failed to get rid of their habit of tongue thrusting. This is a metal device that is fitted at the top of your kid’s mouth. It helps in preventing any abnormalities in the oral and facial structures like jaws, teeth, and facial muscles.

Oral Screen: This appliance is used to eliminate the habit of breathing through the mouth in kids. It stops the inhaled air to enter the mouth.

The Benefits of Habit-breaking Appliances

Habit appliances or habit-breaking appliances play a significant role in removing some harmful habits in kids. However, you kids can still place a thumb in their mouth while wearing this device. But it will make them have a very uncomfortable experience. According to recent studies done by experts, about 95% of babies suck their thumb during the first year of their lives. The percentage decreases to around 6 to 10% when they turn four. Now let us take a look at the various benefits of these appliances:

• Firstly, habit appliances are nominally invasive.
• Secondly, they are a quick and effective treatment for a kids’ bad habits.
• Thirdly, they help your child to control and stop some extremely harmful routines.
• Fourthly, these appliances minimize the risk of malocclusion and other oral development issues in kids.
• Fifthly, they do not cause irritation or injury to a kid’s mouth.

We hope our blog has helped you in understanding the benefits of habit appliances for kids. If you need the best interceptive orthodontic services in Nashua, NH, then please visit our Nashua Dentist at Advanced Family Dentistry. Our team of dentists always prioritizes your and your family’s oral health.