Early Orthodontics
Orthodontic Terms & Questions
Early Orthodontic Treatment
'Two Phase Planning'
Phase 1 |
Phase 2 |
Early Treatment is
Important to Consider
Evaluation of any orthodontic problems will start at your child's first dental visit. Early detection and treatment gives your child the edge: a much better chance for natural and normal development. By working with the natural growth instead of against it, we can prevent problems from becoming worse, and give your child a lifetime of healthy smiles!
Early treatment should be initiated for:
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Habits such as tongue thrusting and thumb sucking
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A constricted airway due to swollen adenoids or tonsils (usually related to mouth breathing or snoring)
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Sever protrusions (bucked teeth)
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"Crossbites", "Underbites", or "Deepbites"
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Bone growth problems (i.e. narrow or underdeveloped jaws)
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Crowding
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Space maintenance (for missing teeth)
Phase One - Palatal Expansion Removable Appliances - Ages 3 to 11
In the first phase, the doctor is interested in the position and symmetry of the jaws, future growth, spacing of the teeth, breathing and other oral habits which may, over a period of time, result in abnormal dentofacial development. We are particularly attentive to the development of your child's facial profile.
The objective of
treatment initiated in this phase of development is to prevent the problem from
becoming worse and/or correct the severity of the problem to reduce the time and
treatment later on.
Phase Two - Braces - Ages 12 to 14
In the second phase, the doctor will be looking at how your child’s teeth and jaws fit, and more specifically work, together. Your child’s teeth will be straightened and their occlusion (bite) is properly aligned. Attention will be given to the jaw joint, (TMJ), the facial profile and periodontal (gum) tissues. By undergoing the first phase, we can usually reduce the amount of time needed for braces. You will be referred to an orthodontist for Phase Two treatment.
Early Treatment is
Important to Consider!
Facial Development
- Seventy-five percent of 12-year-olds need orthodontic treatment. Yet 90% of a child's face has already developed! By guiding facial development earlier, through the use of palatal expansion, removable or functional appliances, 80% of the treatment can be corrected before the adult teeth are present!Cooperation - Younger children between the ages of 8 and 11 are often much more cooperative than children of ages 12 to 14.
Shorter Treatment Time - Another advantage of early Phase One treatment is that children will need to wear fixed braces on their adult teeth for less time.
To Correct Underdeveloped or Overdeveloped Jaws - Almost 55% of children who need orthodontic treatment due to a bad bite have underdeveloped or overdeveloped upper or lower jaws. Functional appliances and/or limited braces can reposition the jaws, improving the child's profile and correcting the bite problem - within 7 to 9 months!
Orthodontic Terms and Questions
What Causes
Crooked Teeth / Lower Lingual Arch (LLA)
/ Malocclusion
Occlusion /
Palatal Widening Appliance /
Retainers
Crowded teeth, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting,
premature loss of baby teeth, a poor breathing airway caused by enlarged
adenoids or tonsils can all contribute to poor tooth positioning. And then there
are the hereditary factors. Extra teeth, large teeth, missing teeth, wide
spacing, small jaws - all can be causes of crowded teeth.
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A lower lingual arch
is a space maintainer for the lower teeth. It maintains the molars where they
are, it does not move them. This is fabricated by placing bands on the molars
and connecting them to a wire that fits up against the inside of the lower
teeth. It keeps the molars from migrating forward and prevents them from
blocking off the space of teeth that develop later. This is used when you have
the early loss of baby teeth or when you have lower teeth that are slightly
crowded in a growing child and you do not want to remove any permanent teeth to
correct the crowding.
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Poor positioning of the teeth.
Types of Malocclusion:
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| Class I A Malocclusion where the bite is OK (the top teeth line up with the bottom teeth) but the teeth are crooked, crowded or turned. |
Class II A Malocclusion where the upper teeth stick out past the lower teeth. |
Class III A Malocclusion where the lower teeth stick out past the upper teeth. This is also called an "underbite". |
The alignment and spacing of your upper and lower teeth when you bite down.
Types of Occlusion:
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Openbite - Anterior opening between upper and lower teeth. |
Overbite - Vertical overlapping of the upper teeth over the lower. |
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| Overjet - Horizontal projection of the upper teeth beyond the lower. |
Crossbite
- When top teeth bite inside the lower teeth. It can occur with the front teeth or back teeth. |
Palatal Widening Appliance (Palatal Expansion)
An
appliance which is placed in the roof of the mouth to widen the upper dental
arch. The maxilla, or upper dental arch, is joined in the center by a joint,
which allows it to be painlessly separated and spread. Temporarily you may see a
space develop between the upper two front teeth. This will slowly go away in a
few days. Once this has occurred, the two halves knit back together and new bone
fills in the space.
Care of appliance: Brush as usual. Brush the
appliance and roof of the mouth thoroughly. Rinse often to clean any food lodged
between the arch and appliance.
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At the completion of the active phase of orthodontic
treatment, braces are removed and removable appliances called retainers are
placed. To retain means to hold. Teeth must be retained or held in their new
positions while the tissues, meaning the bone, elastic membranes around the
roots, the gums, tongue and lips have adapted themselves to the new tooth
positions. Teeth can move if they are not retained. It is extremely important to
wear your retainers as directed!
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