TGuard is the brand name for a
medical device
A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assur ...
used to stop chronic
thumb sucking among children and young adults. It is manufactured in the USA by MED et al., Inc. Referred to commonly by dentists as a ThumbGuard, the company claims that it is the most effective removable appliance therapy used to stop and prevent thumb sucking.
Theory of operation
The device works by breaking the
suction which is present during
thumb sucking. This suction causes not only damage
["Damage to the primary dentition resulting from thumb and finger (digit) sucking” In: ''Journal of Dentistry for Children.'' Nov-Dec 1996] to the teeth and jaws, but also is responsible for the pleasure that the child seeks when engaging in the
habit. By breaking the suction, the child ceases to receive pleasure, and thus, after 3 to 4 weeks of continuous use, stops thumb sucking altogether. The product is made out of a soft, flexible, U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
(FDA)-listed plastic, and thus, is not designed to guard the thumb, but rather, to provide a means for air to flow which can then interrupt the habit.
Effectiveness
A research trial conducted in 1995 demonstrated a 90% success rate among children.
["Unique Thumb with Lock Band to Deter Child from ThumbSucking” In: ''Clinical Research Associates Newsletter.''Volume 19, Issue 6, June 1995] Since then, the company has claimed success rates higher than this, through data collected empirically from users of the product.
Alternatives
The
American Dental Association
The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 161,000 members. Based in the American Dental Association Building in the Near North Side of Chicago, the ADA is the world's ...
, or ADA, does not endorse painting
bitterants, piquants, or otherwise unpleasant substances on children's nails to inhibit the habit. Fixed intra-oral devices, such as hay-rakes, fixed habit appliances, or the bluegrass method, are dental appliances which are physically attached to the child's dentition and used to disrupt the habit.
[{{Cite web , url=http://wikisites.mcgill.ca/Dentalpedia/index.php/Habit_Appliances , title=Habit Appliances - Dentalpedia , access-date=2013-02-05 , archive-date=2016-03-14 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314200045/https://wikisites.mcgill.ca/Dentalpedia/index.php/Habit_Appliances , url-status=dead ]
References
Medical equipment