title: Invisalign teen for thumb-sucking management. A case report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Currently and with increasing frequency, treatments with Invisalign orthodontic devices are aimed also to  adolescent patients: this evolution involves the management of some atypical characteristics, and among them also thumb- sucking.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 13-year-old adolescent girl with protracted thumb sucking and dentoalveolar open bite is  presented. Infantile neuropsychiatric assessment was required before and after treatment. Small areas of the aligners were  occlusally flipped like a bite ramp, in particular on the palatal surface of the upper incisors, in order to discourage thumb  sucking. The selection of an invisible orthodontic device was shown to be interesting because it does not impact on the  fragile and complex neuropsychiatric situations. Moreover, the active daily application of the device further motivates  young  patients. The vertical attachments were fundamental in repositioning the front teeth and to close the dentoalveolar open bite.  Treatment was ended in eight months with no behavioural or neuropsychiatric consequences in the short period. Invisalign  was shown to be a useful device for orthodontic correction even in the complex management of adolescent thumb  sucking.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy. lucia.levrini@uninsubria.it
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Levrini
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Tettamanti
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Macchi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Tagliabue
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Caprioglio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D005386:Fingersucking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D024343:Open Bite / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016382:Orthodontic Appliance Design; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation