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Effects on the Jawbone
Do Home Remedies Work?
The Dental Solution: A Crib That's Not for Sleeping
When Does Crib Treatment Begin?
Thumb sucking in preschool children is a very normal response
to anxiety and stress and does not point to insecurity or emotional
problems in your child. While thumb sucking is normal for infants
and toddlers, this behavior should decrease by ages 3-4 and
stop by age five. Unfortunately, many youngsters are slow to
break the habit. Continued sucking of thumbs or fingers can
cause serious dental problems with chewing, speech, and facial
appearance in children.
| Effects on the Jawbone |
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The more time a child sucks his thumb and the greater the sucking
pressure, the more harm is done to teeth and jaws. Day and night
forceful thumb sucking makes front teeth move, and can even
reshape the jaw-bone. Upper front teeth flare out and tip upward
while lower front teeth move inward.
The reason that thumbs and fingers are effective tooth movers
and bone shapers is that the jaw bones of children under age
eight are especially soft and malleable. Unfortunately for children
and parents, prolonged thumb or finger sucking easily deforms
the bone surrounding upper and lower front teeth, producing
a hole or gap when teeth are brought together, known as an "open
bite".
If a child stops thumb sucking before loss of baby front teeth
and permanent front tooth eruption, most or all harmful effects
disappear within six months. However, if the habit persists
through permanent front tooth eruption, there can be lasting
damage: flared or protruded upper teeth, delayed eruption of
upper or lower front teeth, and the aforementioned open bite.
This can result in chewing difficulties, speech abnormalities,
and an unattractive smile.
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| Do Home Remedies Work? |
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Some parents try home remedies to break the habit. Some try
placing gloves on their children before bedtime. Others paint
thumbs and fingers with various foul-tasting substances. All
of these measures are typically easy to overcome and, unless
done with care or under psychological supervision, may be unsuccessful
because thumb sucking is a deeply ingrained behavior.
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| The Dental Solution: A Crib That's
Not for Sleeping |
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One treatment to break the thumb-sucking habit is a simple device
called a "crib." Placed by an orthodontist on the
child's upper teeth, the crib usually stops the habit cold the
first day of use. The appliance's technical name is a "fixed
palatal crib," and is a type of brace that sits full-time
on the upper teeth and roof of the mouth.
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The crib consists of semicircular stainless steel wires
connected to supporting steel bands or rings. The half-circle
of wires fits behind the child's upper front teeth, barely
visible in normal view. The bands are fastened to the
baby molars. There are a number of different crib designs
used by orthodontists, all variations on the same theme. |
Dr. Molayem will initially analyze the childs teeth and jaws
to check for problems with tooth position and bite. If the child's
teeth and jaws show changes from prolonged thumb sucking, the
orthodontist will usually recommend a crib to eliminate the
habit. Next, clay impressions are made for plaster study models,
together with facial and dental photographs and jaw x-rays.
Once the crib is fabricated it is cemented into place. The child
experiences soreness of upper back teeth for a few hours, and
modified speech for 1-2 days. Sleep may also be disturbed for
the first few nights. We recommend that offer lots of tender
loving care, words of support, and accolades so as to provide
a smooth, non-traumatic transition.
Once the crib is cemented, there is nothing to adjust and no
moving or removable parts. It is one of the simplest, yet most
effective orthodontic devices. Crib wires prevent the thumb
or finger from touching the gums behind the front teeth and
on the palate (roof of the mouth), turning a pleasant experience
into an unpleasant one. Deriving no satisfaction from the activity,
the child has no incentive to continue.
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| When Does Crib Treatment Begin? |
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The ideal time is when upper front baby teeth become loose,
just prior to eruption of adult or permanent front teeth. This
usually occurs just before or after age six, well beyond the
maximum "normal" age for thumb sucking to stop. Prompt
thumb removal at this time allows permanent teeth to assume
a much better position than waiting until their full eruption
to break the habit.
Sucking on a thumb, finger, or blanket may be noted in preteens,
teenagers and even adults. Despite the age differences, the
initial orthodontic treatment is the same for all: placement
of a crib to break the habit. For teens and adults, counseling
may be indicated to deal with any underlying psychological
problems.
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