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Prevention of Oral Habits
Prevention of Oral Habits
By
2022
―Oral habits may apply negative forces to the teeth and dento-alveolar
structures.
Intensity: the amount of force applied to the teeth while performing the
habit.
Frequency: the number of times the habits practiced throughout the day.
Frequency plays the most critical role in tooth movement (>4-6 hours/day).
•Digit sucking
•Mouth breathing
•Bruxism
• Pacifier sucking
• Self mutilation
Thumb sucking habit can be defined as ―the repeated forceful sucking of the
thumb with associated strong buccal and lip musculature contraction;
orbicularis oris and buccinator muscles”.
Etiology:
Working mother.
SES problems.
Adverse effects:
2- Clinically significant: This phase extends from 3-6 years of age and is
associated with clinically significant sucking. It requires dentist intervention in
an effort to manage the habit at this stage (reversible dental changes).
3- Intractable sucking: when the habit proceeds beyond 6-7 years, child will
require both parents and dentist attention and may need to be given
psychotherapy (irreversible dental changes).
1. Psychotherapy
• Dunlop exercise: the child is asked to sit in front of a large mirror and asked
to suck his thumb observing himself involved in the habit.
C. Extra oral electronic appliance: A simple device, which gives alarm when
the child puts the finger into the mouth.
D. Thumb-Home concept: A small bag is tied around the wrist of the child
during sleep (adhesive bandage).
Appliance therapy is used after failure of reminder and reward therapy but
not punishment.
Duration: 6 months.
Side effects:
Eating difficulties
Speech problems
Disturbed sleep
TONGUE THRUSTING:
Incidence (Phases):
1. Place water beneath the tongue tip and ask him to swallow
Adverse effects:
5. Spacing.
6. Speech defects.
Treatment considerations:
1) Myofunctional therapy
2) Orthodontic elastics tongue tip is held against the palate and sugarless fruit
drop.
II-Lip habit:
Definition:
Habit that involves manipulation of lips and perioral structures which is most
Classification:
3. Mentalis Habit: The vermillion border of the lower lip is often everted with the
lingual aspect elevated into the mouth along with the appearance of sub-labial
contracture line between the lip and chin (if the entire lip everted it is called lip
sucking).
Etiology
1. Malocclusion
Class II division I, deep bite malocclusion: due to increased overbite and overjet,
this habit develops when the child wants to produce a normal lip seal during
2 Habits
In conjunction with other habits such as thumb sucking, digit sucking; which will
3. Emotional stress
Increased salivary output, thus increasing the number of swallows and increased
Clinically:
Dr. Mohamed Farouk Page 11
Dental:
open bite).
Soft tissues:
i. Lip: reddened, irritated and chapped area below the vermillion border which will
be relocated farther outside the mouth due to constant lips wetting in addition to
Management:
1. Emotional therapy: involves self discipline, not to perform the habit again in
near future.
5. Appliance therapy: Oral shield (screen) helps to stop habit and also the incisal
alignment. The addition of a small loop to the labial oral shield to improve the lip
6. Lip Bumper:
Placed in the vestibule of mandibular arch and serves to prohibit the lips from
exerting excessive force on mandibular incisors and to repositioning the lip away
from lingual surface of maxillary incisor; this prevent the distal movement of
Adenoid faces:
Types:
Etiology:
1. Emotional problem.
3. Systemic factors
Clinical Features:
I. On primary teeth:
The occlusal wear of primary teeth is more than the normal. Enamel and
dentine are worn away with chance of pulp exposure.
2. Teeth sensitivity.
5. Patient usually complain of jaws pain or locking of jaws when they wake
up in the morning
Management:
In cases of stress:
5- Have little talks with him to find out what bothers him (school or home),
and try to come up with solutions
e. Occlusal therapy:
1. Occlusal adjustment
Repetitive act that result in physical damage to the individual. These habits are rare
10-20%
Etiology:
traumatic brain injuries, and some syndromes like Lesch- Nyhan disease
(syndrome) in which symptoms such as repetitive lip, finger, tongue, knee and
Rare X-linked recessive genetic disorder that most often affects males suffers from
renal failure and mental and motor disability; may die in early childhood
Clinically:
1-With the eruption of deciduous teeth, they begin to bite their fingers and lips.
3-Excessive lip-licking and lip-pulling. Child may continue lip biting even after lip
injury occurs.
Some children experience a feeling of neglect and loneliness and through the use