- Thumb, Pacifier, or Comfort Blanket Sucking
Thumb sucking, pacifier use, or sucking on a comfort blanket is known as non-nutritive sucking. This behavior is an innate, instinctive need that babies develop even before birth.
However, by the age of 4, it is best for your child to stop this habit. The later the habit stops, the more significant and complex the consequences on teeth and jaws may be, especially if the sucking occurs frequently.
If your child has difficulty breaking the habit, we can offer tips and small appliances to help.
- Narrow Palate
For proper chewing and to avoid jaw misalignment, the upper teeth should overlap the lower teeth, much like a box lid fits over its base.
If this is not the case, we may recommend an appliance, most commonly a fixed one, worn for 6 months to 1 year, to help widen the upper jaw and dental arch.
- Anteroposterior Tooth Misalignment (Upper Teeth Too Far Forward or Backward Compared to Lower Teeth)
These malocclusions are often genetic, and may be found in several members of the same family.
They may involve a simple dental misalignment or an issue with the growth of one of the jaws, either underdevelopment or overgrowth.
During growth phases, orthodontic appliances can positively influence jaw development. Corrections are mostly dental, but can also be skeletal.
The appliances may be fixed or removable.
- Premature Loss of Baby Teeth
Teeth do not tolerate empty spaces well. When a baby tooth is lost or extracted too early, the neighboring teeth tend to shift and close the space meant for the permanent tooth.
In such cases, we will recommend a space maintainer to ensure proper eruption of the permanent tooth.
