How do tongue cribs help kids’ oral health?
A tongue crib is an orthodontic appliance that is useful for correcting teeth, and muscular abnormalities caused due to poor oral habits like thumb sucking. It is a specifically made apparatus consisting of a metal grate with 2 bands connected with a wire. It is placed behind the top front teeth to keep the tongue in its normal position.
This appliance is also known as “Tongue thrust brace” as it prevents the tongue from pushing against the teeth. Similarly, it can address the swallowing reflexes triggered by tongue thrusting.
What is meant by tongue thrusting?
Tongue thrust is the most common orofacial myofunctional disorder. It is the practice of protruding the tongue too forward for swallowing. The root cause of this problem lies in various things like large tongue, hereditary factors, nasal congestion, and so on whereas prolonged finger sucking habit is the main reason behind this problem in most cases.
Despite it seems a self-soothing technique in kids, it is quite hard on oral health in a long run. People who suck their fingers, pacifiers even after the permanent teeth erupt would face problems like open bites, talking with lisps, swallowing reflexes, etc.
Hence pediatric dentists recommend removable or permanent tongue cribs to restrict the tongue behavior so that these repercussions can be deterred.
How are tongue cribs helpful in stopping tongue thrust reflex?
Tongue cribs are either permanent or removable and the right type of appliance is chosen with respect to the problems. Once it is installed with the rings around the molars of the upper mouth, the metal grate sits behind the front teeth.
In general, when the tongue tip is stretched too far, the tongue tip is pressed against the back of the front upper teeth. It affects the growth of the teeth and their alignment. Meanwhile, it affects the palate region and causes a wide gap between the upper front teeth and lower front teeth.
As the metal grate blocks the mouth’s top front roof, it prevents the fingers from reaching the roof of the mouth (i.e.) suction is impossible now. Similarly, it retrains the tongue to rest downwards instead of moving forward and upward.
Thus the tongue thrust brace obstructs the tongue from its atypical movements thusly its hazardous aftereffects are prevented. It also tends to break the habit of finger sucking as well.
Can adults get tongue cribs?
Yes. Teens and adults can also get tongue cribs but the treatment is provided with a combination of other therapy and appliances like myofunctional therapy, orthodontic braces, nightguards, and others. However, your orthodontist would choose the right approach after evaluating the damages that occurred with the tongue thrust.
If the tongue thrusting problems are not corrected in childhood, they will continue even in adulthood and cause permanent damage.
Remember that correcting the tongue thrust is quite hard for adults and requires more time than for kids. It is because the jaw bone is fully developed whilst the adult teeth are also formed hence adjusting the tongue behavior without damaging the teeth or jaw is possible in this stage.
Hence it is better to wear tongue cribs in childhood before the eruption of permanent teeth.
How long should a patient wear tongue cribs?
On average, kids should wear this appliance for 9 to 12 months to correct tongue behavior and get rid of its harmful aftereffects. However, the treatment duration varies on the problem’s severity and damages that occurred.
The wearer should take care of the tongue cribs with proper cleaning activities, avoid hard, sticky foods. If you follow the precautionary & maintenance activities prescribed by your dental doctor, the tongue cribs will not cause discomfort except initial awkwardness.
Are there any alternatives available for tongue cribs?
Tongue cribs are an effective means to break finger suction habits and get rid of tongue thrusting behaviors. Meanwhile, you have a multitude of appliances to retrain the tongue movements. Here are a few:
- Tongue rake
- Tongue screener
- Tongue trainer
- Hawley’s appliance
- Rolling tongue-sucking appliance
Bottom line
Sucking behavior is a common thing in kids but getting out of this habit by the age of 2 to 4 years is important. Otherwise, it will lead to problems like teeth misalignment, swallowing difficulties, elongated face shapes, etc. If you notice if your kid tends to suck fingers even after becoming 4 years old, visit your dental doctor.
As correctional dentistry is more advanced now, you can get habit-breaking appliances like tongue cribs. You can safeguard your kids’ oral health from various detrimental effects associated with such poor oral habits.
