Management of Thumb Sucking During Early and Late Mixed Dentition Using Palatal Crib: Report of Two Cases

Abstract

Thumb sucking is one of the most commonly seen oral habit. Prolonged thumb sucking result in the initiation of malocclusion such as posterior cross bite, maxillary constriction, and anterior open bite. Generally, treatment strategies include intervention by eliminating the habit and correction of the malocclusion. This report present two cases of thumb sucking habit and their treatment for one child in the early and another one in the late mixed dentition using fixed palatal crib. The appliance was successful in treatment of thumb sucking habit with the advantage of easy fabrication and excellent compliance of the patients.