Tag Archives: braces for adults

Pediatric Dentist

Stopping Thumb Sucking

I sucked my thumb until I was eleven and because of that my front teeth are pushed forward a bit. Now I’ve got my own child. He’s three and still sucking his thumb. I don’t want him to grow up embarrassed like I am about my smile. My parents could not afford braces, and now that I’m an adult the idea of a mouth full of metal isn’t a great professional look. Is there a way to stop him sucking his thumb? My parents were constantly yelling at me about mine, but I kept going anyway. I’m hoping to find something that will work for him. Are his teeth already ruined?

Andrea

Dear Andrea,

young mother, holding and giggling with two children

The good news is that at three years old, there is no harm done to your son’s teeth. You won’t have to worry about misalignment from thumb sucking until his permanent teeth start coming in. In most cases, children stop sucking their thumb on their own.

Make sure he’s seeing a children’s dentist regularly so issues such as misalignment can be dealt with early.

However, as you experienced, that is not always the case. when permanent teeth are starting to come in and a child is still sucking their thumb, here is what I recommend.

First, don’t make a big deal about it. You want to use positive reinforcement instead of beratting or humiliating the child. See if you can figure out what the trigger is for them. It may be a comfort while they’re going to sleep or a response to anxiety and stress.

You can help them replace the negative habit with a positive one. If they’re having trouble falling asleep, an extra bedtime story or even telling each other stories before sleep might help, with the additional benefits of bonding time and encouraging imagination.

If you see them sucking their thumb when stressed, tell them about other things that can help them more.

While doing that make sure you talk about the switch as positive instead of shaming them.

As for your teeth, you are not stuck with the choice between crooked teeth  and a mouth full of metal. Instead, I recommend you look into Invisalign. This uses clear aligners instead of the metal wires and brackets of traditional braces. No one will know that you are straightening your teeth, even at a conversational distance.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Invisalign

Invisalign Versus Lingual Braces

I’m a professional adult in his forties. My teeth need some work, especially now that I’ve been given the Public Relations position. I will be doing press conferences and speeches. I need to look my best. I’ve been doing some research and it appears I have two very good options to having braces without looking like a prepubescent boy— Invisalign and lingual braces. I’ve gone as far as I can just looking online and wondered if you had some insight into which would be better in my situation.

Samuel

Dear Samuel,

A woman placing in her Invisalign aligners

For those who haven’t done the research you have that are reading this blog, I’m going to give a quick explanation of each, along with their benefits. Then I’ll give my recommendation for your specific case.

Invisalign

These are clear plastic aligners which you slip over your teeth. They’re unnoticeable even at a conversational distance. Many people call them invisible braces. You can see a picture of them above to get an idea of what they look like. Your dentist, using an advanced software program will plan a precise treatment plan for you. Each pair of aligners will move your teeth a little further into their proper alignment. You’ll change out your aligners every two weeks.

Lingual Braces

These are traditional braces, placed behind your teeth so no one can see them. If you remember the old Little House on the Praire episodes, Melissa Gilbert (who played Laura Ingalls) wore them for several years. Her teeth were in desperate need of straightening, but they couldn’t use anything visible to the television audience. As you can see from the show, no one will be able to see them. Their biggest advantage is they can handle some more challenging cases which may not be a candidate for Invisalign.

My Recommendation for You— Invisalign

If you’re a candidate for Invisalign, I’d recommend that. Most adults find it difficult to speak when they have on lingual braces. Their tongues seem drawn to them. Plus, not everyone finds them comfortable. Braces make oral hygiene a bit of a challenge. When you’re talking about braces behind your teeth, there are some additional challenges as well.

With Invisalign, you can remove them. That makes your oral hygiene much simpler. Additionally, if you have a speaking engagement and find it challenging to speak normally, they can be removed while you speak. They tend to work much faster than lingual braces as well.

One other added benefit: You mentioned wanting to improve your smile. Teeth whitening will take years off your appearance. You’re able to do both procedures simultaneously with Invisalign, using the aligners as whitening trays. Then, you’ll have straight, white teeth. You’ll look like a celebrity.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.