Habit Breaking Appliances

Habit Breaking Appliances which can be used along with fixed orthodontic appliances will be of great advantage. This paper describes a habit breaking appliance Hybrid Habit Correcting Appliance (HHCA) which can be used to effectively restrain and correct tongue thrusting as well as thumb sucking habit.

Parafunctional habits are recognized as a major etiological factor for the development of dental malocclusion. Thumb sucking and tongue thrusting are the most commonly seen oral habits. The line of treatment for these habits includes removal of the etiology, retraining exercises and use of mechanical restraining appliances. Tongue bead appliances are commonly used as retraining exercise devices. In severe tongue thrusting cases and in cases with anterior open bite, a bead appliance alone may not be effective in restricting the habit.

Tongue crib appliances are extremely effective in breaking the tongue thrust habit. They create a mechanical barrier and prevent the tongue from thrusting between the incisors. In most of the cases with severe thumb/digit sucking habit, an anterior open bite develops. This will result in the development of a secondary tongue thrust habit. Hence, in cases with severe prolonged thumb or digit sucking, an appliance which can eliminate both of these habits is appropriate.

Patient compliance is another problem associated with removable habit breaking appliances. Hence, habit breaking appliances which can be used along with fixed orthodontic appliances will be of great advantage.

This paper describes a habit breaking appliance Hybrid Habit Correcting Appliance (HHCA) which can be used to effectively restrain and correct tongue thrusting as well as thumb sucking habit.