2 Tips To Make Your Child More Comfortable With Wearing Their Removable Palatal Crib
Posted on: 1 August 2016
A palatal crib is not designed to be painful, but the device can take some getting used to. The device is constructed to fit around your child's molars and snakes around the inner parts of their teeth. The wires prevent your child's thumb from making contact with their gums that are located behind their front teeth. This takes away the enjoyment that your child feels when they engage in thumb sucking. If your child wears a removable palatal crib, then this discomfort can cause them to want to remove the device. However, the longer they wear the device, the easier it will be for them to break this habit. Therefore, there are a few tips that you can use to help get your child more comfortable with wearing the dental device.
Reward Your Child for Wearing their Dental Device
Small children often engage in thumb sucking because it brings a feeling of comfort and joy to them. Wearing a palatal crib will remove this pleasant feeling. They may begin to associate wearing the dental appliance with negative feelings. Therefore, you can counteract this by rewarding them for wearing their palatal appliance. These rewards can consist of watching their favorite television show, playing their favorite game, or eating their favorite snack. This will allow them to begin to associate wearing the appliance with positive rewards. Within a matter of time, they will take the initiative to wear the device.
Find Someone They can Relate to
Children often have a difficult time understanding the importance of larger issues. They may not fully understand why they cannot or should not suck their thumb and may instead consider it to be a punishment. In order to prevent this frame of thought, find a cartoon character or book character that also wears a dental appliance as well. Children's books and television shows are some of the best ways that children can learn about the importance of issues that they may not fully comprehend on their own. Use the character's story to explain why it is okay to wear a palatal crib and how the device will help to benefit the health of your child's mouth in the future. This will help to ease any feelings of uncertainty that they may be battling.
Comfort is an important factor when it comes time to encourage a child to do or try something new. If they feel uncomfortable wearing a palatal crib, then it will be an uphill battle. Therefore, use these tips to help prevent this from happening. Talk to an orthodontist for more information.
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