Habit-Breaking Appliance

What is a Habit-Breaking Appliance?

Bad dental habits cause serious problems in the dental pieces in the medium or short term.These habits can be caused due to a repeated action that can produce a significant change or damage in the teeth structure, originating malocclusion or crooked teeth.

Bad habits include thumb or pacifier sucking or pushing the teeth with the tongue.

Habit-breaking braces are extremely effective in preventing bad oral habits, which will eventually end up damaging your tooth structure. These appliances serve to form a barrier that prevents the person from performing any of the bad habits mentioned above.

There are a few different types of habit-breaking appliances, including removable habit-breaking appliances and fixed ones

What are bad habits?

Nail-biting is a very harmful habit because due to the pressure exerted by biting, it can cause the teeth to splinter and the jaws to suffer.

One of the most dangerous bad habits is bruxism, which consists of involuntary teeth grinding while the person is sleeping. It is worrisome when this happens because it induces teeth chipping, breaking, or fracturing. And it generates tensions in the upper and lower jaws, due to the pressure exerted.

Sucking the fingers, tongue or teeth, implies that in the short or long term, it generates a harmful reaction. This can be considered “normal” up to a certain age, however, if it persists, it is cause for concern because it changes the normal structure of the teeth and jaws, preventing the child from chewing normally.

Pushing the teeth with the tongue is another activity that can be considered “normal” when the child is still young, and usually, this habit can disappear but if it does not. It can cause the child to develop an open bite, thus impairing normal development.

We offer customized solutions for Breaking Habits

There are a few different types of habit-breaking appliances, including removable habit-breaking appliances and fixed ones. For more information, call us at Dr. Grace Ordoñez.  We will schedule a consultation, so you have an opportunity to discuss your concerns with a knowledgeable team.