Tongue Habit Appliances (sometimes called a Tongue Crib) are devices that are usually placed in children’s mouths to break bad habits of tongue movement that are detrimental the teeth and bite. There are many different types of Tongue Habit Appliances, from gates or spikes that prevent the tongue from moving too far forward, to anchored beads that encourage beneficial tongue posture or discourage thumb sucking. Tongue Habit Appliances are usually fixed devices (not removable) that a child wears for several months until the detrimental habit is broken. The above photo, courtesy of Dynaflex, shows just a few of the types of devices available. Your Orthodontist will decide which type of Tongue Habit Appliance is best for the situation.
Sometimes, a Tongue Thrust habit can be corrected by doing Tongue Thrust Therapy instead of (or in conjunction with) wearing a Tongue Habit Appliance.
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