Palate Expanders for Children with Thumb and Finger Habits
How Finger and Thumb Sucking Habits Can Influence Your Child’s Teeth.
Has your Orthodontist recommended a palate expander with habit reminders as part of your child’s treatment plan?
Learn about how these appliances help break the habit!
Thumb and finger habits affect teeth and jaws
Some children find sucking on thumbs, fingers or objects very soothing and comforting. Unfortunately, these habits, when done for a length of time, can create abnormalities in jaw development and delay tooth eruption.
Breaking oral habits as young as possible will lessen the impact the habit has on tooth development and jaw position.
How can Orthodontics help break the habit?
Oral habits in children often create narrow jaws and open bites. The sucking action causes cheeks to press inward, which can affect the width of the upper jaw. Having objects in the mouth constantly stop the front teeth from growing into the mouth properly, affecting their ability to touch the bottom front teeth.
Narrow jaws in growing children can be widened using palate expanders.
Palate expanders that are attached to the teeth with acrylic gives the ability to place thumb and finger reminders, so the habit is stopped the same day the appliance is placed.
If a child breaks the habit on their own but their tongue likes to come forward mimicking the sucking action, tongue tamers can be used to remind the tongue to retract and rest in the roof of the mouth.
A palate expander without habit reminders.
A palate expander with habit reminders; small prongs that make sucking objects less desirable.
Tongue tamers placed behind the top, front teeth to remind the tongue to stay away from the teeth.
Wearing Habit Reminders During Your Smile Journey
Oral habits can feel challenging to break, especially the longer they continue. However, your teeth will thank you for doing it!
If you are a parent who has tried everything without success, consider having your child visit an Orthodontist to explore options to help break the habit for good!