Thumbsucking/Snoring Appliances
What do thumbsucking and snoring have in common? The answer is that oral appliances from your dentist can solve both problems. While the two issues require different types of appliances, it is your dentist’s professional assessment and fitting that makes the appliances do their jobs.
Thumbsucking Appliances
Thumbsucking is a natural part of babyhood. When an infant sucks her thumb, she is learning to self-comfort on her long road to independence. Most children stop sucking their thumbs between the ages of 2 and 4. However, if the thumbsucking begins to damage their bite or they continue the habit after their 4th birthday, it needs to be addressed.
Fortunately, your dentist can help your child overcome thumbsucking with an oral appliance that fits behind their teeth. The appliance keeps them from being able to get suction when they put their thumb in their mouth. It also makes it uncomfortable for the child to do so. The appliance can also work for finger sucking.
Thumbsucking usually ends the first day the child wears the appliance. After wearing it for the time recommended by your dentist, the child breaks the habit of even trying to suck their thumb.
Fitting and Installing the Appliance
The dentist examines the child’s mouth and makes impressions so the appliance can be made. Then, in a one-visit procedure, the dentist installs the appliance in the child’s mouth. He is always concerned about your child’s comfort and takes every measure to calm her during the procedure.
Snoring Appliances
Snoring can wake up your loved ones in the night, and it can even startle you out of a sound sleep. In addition, it can impair your breathing and reduce the oxygen levels in your blood. Snoring can also be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a serious medical condition that can endganger your health.
Your dentist can help you stop snoring with a special, custom-fitted snoring appliance. It is crucial that you have your dentist fit the snoring appliance so it fits the unique shape of your mouth and does not damage your teeth or jaw. Because of the potential for an ill-fitting snoring device to cause problems in your mouth, over-the-counter sleep apnea devices can be both damaging and ineffective.
Your dentist can show you what a snoring device looks like and discuss the option with you. If your dentist recommends the device and you agree, the dentist will examine your mouth. Then, he takes an impression of your mouth and the snoring device is made especially for you.
Once the device is made, the dentist checks it to make sure it fits properly. He shows you how to insert it and explains how to care for it. Then, after you have worn it, it is very important to talk to your dentist about any problems you are having with it. The worst thing you can do is quit wearing the appliance and give up on solving your snoring problem. Remember, this can be a serious problem. Your dentist is here to help.
