Pediatric dentists often recommend the use of dental appliances for children who are having difficulties with their teeth. Dental appliances serve as a way to protect the teeth from damage in order to get children ready for braces or other restorative work. A Cumming, GA pediatric orthodontist might recommend using different types of dental appliances to reduce or eliminate problems such as crowded teeth, crooked teeth, cross bites, and malocclusions.
We will now see into common pediatric dental appliances available in GA.
- Mouth guards
Mouth guards are a great way to protect growing teeth from damage. A mouth guard will keep the jaw from growing too large and prevent the teeth from shifting into an unaligned position. Mouth guards are usually recommended to help maintain the position of the jaw and teeth, especially after braces are removed. This appliance is custom-fitted to the mouth and worn during athletic activities to protect the teeth from injury.
- Space maintainers
Space maintainers are used to keep the space between teeth open if a child is losing baby teeth at an early age. They actually are used to retain space if a child loses teeth prematurely. This dental appliance will also help to prevent premature tooth decay. Your child’s orthodontist may also recommend the use of space maintainers if there are issues like crowding, misshaping, and cross-bites.
- Thumb sucking appliances
These are used by parents when they want to stop their children from sucking their thumbs. The appliance will help to prevent the child from being able to bring her thumb into her mouth during sleep. Most children who use thumb-sucking appliances are able to do so without any problems.
A crib is one such appliance that helps a child to suck less. It is a little bit similar to a pacifier, which does not allow a child to suck. A crib is a small device that looks like a pacifier, but it does not let the child suck or eat. The purpose of using a crib is that it will stop the thumb sucking habit very fast, and it will help in avoiding the problem of thumb sucking. Thumb sucking problems may be due to behavioral disorders, anxiety caused by fear, or breathing problems while sleeping.
