Habit-breaking appliances in child dentistry

Non-nutritive oral habits include thumb-sucking, tongue thrusting and mouth biting lips. When they persist beyond a certain age, they may interfere with a child's jaw development, leading to permanent misalignment, also known as malocclusion. In All Smiles, Dr Sonali Ghorpade rehabilitates these habits with Habit-Breaking Appliances to save the childhood of a baby with a developing smile.

What are Habit-Breaking Appliances?

These are custom removable devices, typically cemented on the posterior teeth. They will serve as sweet reminders or physical obstacles to interrupt the usually unconscious habit by eliminating the comfort that a child is used to. Intervention When to Intervene: Most of the habits do not need intervention, although we offer intervention when a destructive habit does not disappear after age four or five, when permanent teeth are starting to erupt.

Why Choose All Smiles to Take Good Care of Your Child?

Pediatric Expertise: Dr Sonali Ghorpade is responsible for operations and follow-ups. Her child-oriented training means a sensitive and encouraging approach to help your child get accustomed quickly.

Tailored, Soft-Form Design: Each appliance is designed to fit as well as possible, providing the utmost utility and ease. It is not a painful impediment but a reminder in a non-punitive way.

Preventive Focus: It is better to prevent the habit early so that we can avoid severe malocclusions later in your child's life and avoid the need for expensive braces.

Parental Guidance: We provide parents with direct instructions and positive-reinforcement plans to support the child during treatment, making it more likely to break the habit.