How can dentistry correct oral habits?
Nail biting, thumb sucking, and messy eating are all “habits” that are frequently misunderstood by parents and professionals alike. Dental habit-correction appliances like tongue cribs and rakes are designed to keep the fingers out of the front of the mouth – some are smooth and others are pointy. OUCH! The problem with these appliances (besides the obvious) is that they also prevent the tongue from living in its proper home, thereby reinforcing the problematic low tongue posture that likely brought on the habit in the first place.
Why do you use ALF instead of habit-correction appliances?
Kids live in constant motion, so our appliances are designed to support that motion; the ALF is playful and exploratory, not purposeful or punitive (even in the case of habit correction). Behind every behavior is an emotion; behind every emotion is a need. Find out what the need is and fulfill that, rather than treating the behavior (which is a symptom).
A patient with a thumb-sucking habit is looking for regulation of the limbic (emotional) system, and the pressure of the thumb on the incisive papilla releases dopamine to the brain … that very same stimulation and release can be achieved by the tongue tip placing pressure on the incisive papilla. The anterior omega loop of the ALF is designed to attract the tongue just there! This is also the purchase point that anchors the tongue at the initiation of a stable swallow. We add the tongue toy to satisfy the oral craving and reintroduce the tongue to the palate!
Very often, a dysfunctional swallow pattern is at the root of an anterior open bite, and in this case, we make it clear that without additional therapy from an Orofacial Myologist, the initial treatment of the ALF therapy is incomplete (and the long-term results are more prone to relapse).
Whether the habit is a poor swallow or thumb sucking or clothes chewing, we often need to change the function along with the structure and refer for Orofacial Myology.
Take a look at the pictures below… which would you want for your child??
