Effectiveness of appliance therapy in reducing overjet and open bite associated with thumb sucking habit.

Aim: The aim of this paper was to compare the effectiveness of appliance therapy and reward therapy in reducing overjet and open bite associated with thumb sucking habit.

Methods: Thirty nine subjects (17 males and 22 females) with chronic thumb sucking habit were allocated to three groups: group A (positive reinforcement), group B (modified triple loop corrector), and group C (control). Pre-treatment and post-treatment study casts were evaluated for changes in overjet and open bite. Data from measurements of the three groups were statistically analyzed using a non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U tests. All statistical computation was performed with SPSS 15.0 software. Significance was set at 0.05 level.

Results: Statistically significant reductions in mean overjet and open bite were seen for the group treated with appliance therapy when compared to other two groups (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Appliance therapy was significantly more superior in reducing the overjet and open bite associated with thumb sucking habit. Early interception of these habits is recommended to reduce the incidence of malocclusion in children.