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Crib Appliance
Some patients have the opposite problem of a deep bite; inadequate vertical overlap, or a vertical separation, of front teeth. Usually,
when front teeth don't have enough overbite, it is due to the tongue pushing forward between the upper and lower front teeth upon swallowing. This is called a "tongue thrust" or
"swallowing habit". In many cases, a tongue thrust is secondary to a previous habit of thumb-sucking. In any event, the purpose of a crib appliance is to help
re-program the tongue's posture during swallowing. The crib appliance acts as a "fence" to guide the tongue from pushing forward during swallowing. This appliance is usually worn for about 6 months. Like other therapies, it is not always successful at changing the swallowing pattern, but is most beneficial when prescribed early on,
before the swallowing pattern becomes too habitual.It is very well tolerated by nearly all patients and is easy to take care of, as it is simple in design and stays in the mouth all the time.
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