Interceptive
Treatment
The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment
An early orthodontic examination can be a valuable preventive
measure in controlling dental and skeletal irregularities
in a growing child. Sometimes early treatment?? and management
of a patient's skeletal growth before most of the permanent
teeth have erupted, or simple interceptive treatment to control
harmful habits is indicated. In many patients proper treatment
timing can achieve results that can not be attained once the
face and jaws have finished growing.
When should treatment begin?
There is no one answer to this question because each orthodontic
problem determines its own best starting time in terms of improvement
that can be achieved with the least time and expense. For this
reason, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends
that the proper age for a child's first visit to the orthodontist
is 7 years or even earlier if a problem is noted by the parents,
family dentist or physician. However, one should not assume
that treatment will always begin immediately after a first examination.
Dr. Hsiao may simply want to check the child periodically
while the permanent teeth erupt and the jaws and face continue
to grow. In this way, the timing of treatment can be correlated
with the best skeletal, dental, and psychological maturation
level for the individual.
What causes a malocclusion or "bad bite"?
The two general causes of malocclusions and facial irregularities
are genetic inheritance and environmental factors. Inherited
problems may include such things as the pattern of facial growth,
crowding of teeth, too much space between teeth, cleft palate,
and a wide variety of other issues involving the jaws and face.
Environmental factors include
thumb or finger sucking, lip biting, tongue thrusting, mouth
breathing (an airway restricted by tonsils or a??denoids), and
the premature loss of primary or permanent teeth. Many of these
factors can affect the entire face as well as the teeth.
As a general rule, treatment
during this age period is kept simple, since the child has
a limited understanding of the problem and limited ability
to comply with the prescribed treatment.
Ages 6 through 12
What problems can and
should be corrected?
This stage of development follows the eruption of the permanent
incisors (front teeth) and first permanent molars (six year
molars), and is commonly referred to as the "mixed dentition
stage". This stage represents an excellent time for the
correction of dental and skeletal problems because: 1) During
this time, sixteen permanent teeth will erupt and guidance of
this eruption can facilitate the correction of many malocclusions.
2) Skeletal disharmonies may require the orthodontist to have
as much control as possible over the direction and magnitude
of the facial growth pattern. 3) Psychological development,
understanding of treatment goals and patient cooperation is
better handled at this stage.
Problems that are commonly treated
during this stage of development include:
(1) Excessive overjet- This bite
may be caused by protruding front teeth and/or an underlying
jaw discrepancy.
2) Underbite- This bite may
be caused by the upper and lower teeth being out of position
and/or an underlying jaw discrepancy.
3) Deep bite - The upper and
lower teeth may vertically overlap excessively when the back
teeth are biting together.
4) Openbite - The front
or back teeth may teeth fail to meet when biting together.
5) Crossbite - The upper
teeth are inside the lower teeth when the patient is biting
together.
Other problems that can be treated
during this stage are prolonged thumb and finger sucking habits,
abnormal swallowing habits, mouth breathing, and excessive
crowding.
Treatment planning for these
individuals usually emphasizes correction of severe skeletal
problems (orthopedics), as well as severe dental problems.
Custom made appliances are prescribed and designed according
to the problem being treated. The appliance may be removable
or fixed (cemented/ or bonded), and may require the use of
extra-oral orthopedic forces (headgears). The appliance can
be made of metal, plastic or both. All treatment modalities
during this stage of development strive to correctly align
the teeth and jaws so that the remaining facial growth will
be balanced. Following this interceptive treatment phase,
the patient will normally be monitored on a regular basis
as they continue to grow and develop.
Adolescent treatment
(permanent teeth)
This stage of development constitutes the majority of orthodontic
patients being treated in the United States. There are two primary
reasons: 1) The patients in this age group are undergoing pubescent
growth, and this represents an excellent time for correction
of most mild skeletal and dental problems. 2) The permanent
dentition is now present and the orthodontist has control over
the development of the final occlusion. Normal pubescent ages
for females are between the ages of 10 to 13, and between the
ages of 11 and 16 for males.
It should be noted however,
that individuals demonstrate wide variations in their physiological,
psychological, and dental development. Delayed or accelerated
growth in an individual is not unusual and will not necessarily
maintained throughout their development. Consequently, an
individual may experience growth spurts varying in both intensity
and duration throughout their developmental years.
Braces, or comprehensive fixed
appliance therapy, is the most common treatment of choice
in this age group. These appliances may be augmented by any
number of other removable or fixed appliances depending upon
the orthodontic problem.
Why is early orthodontic
treatment important?
Every parent wants his or her child to have a beautiful smile,
and everyone should have a healthy one. The goal of the orthodontist
is to help achieve both for the patient.
Untreated malocclusions "bad
bites" may contribute to conditions that worsen with
age. Crooked and crowded teeth are more difficult to clean
and maintain which may contribute not only to tooth decay,
but eventual gum disease and tooth loss. Other orthodontic
problems can cause abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, excess
stress on the supporting bone and gum tissue, or even misalignment
of the jaw joints with resultant chronic headaches or pains
in the face and neck.
The importance of an attractive
smile should not be underestimated. A pleasing appearance
is a vital asset to one's self-confidence. A child's self
esteem often improves as treatment brings teeth, lips and
face into harmony. In this way, early orthodontic treatment
gives the child a sense of control because it provides an
opportunity to participate in the improvement of his or her
appearance.
Encouraging good dental health
habits and providing professional dental care at an early
age produces benefits that will last a lifetime. Remember
that your child should begin regular visits to the family
dentist at age 2. At age 7, or earlier if a problem is suspected,
your child should have an orthodontic examination. This allows
the orthodontic specialist the best opportunity to prevent
serious problems from developing and to provide corrective
treatment at the best age for your child to have the most
beautiful and healthiest smile possible.
An
Important Message to the Parents of Young Children:
PRE-ORTHODONTIC
GUIDANCE PROGRAM
If the child you have in orthodontic treatment now has younger brothers
or sisters, or if you have a child between 7 and 9 years old,
this information may be of help to you.
Often
children within a family will exhibit certain predictable
patterns of growth in much the same way they inherit similar
eye and hair color. Like other family traits, particular patterns
of tooth and jaw development also "run in the family".
As
a preventative orthodontic office, we like to examine children
by the age of 7. Usually no orthodontic treatment will be
needed at this time. However, by making use of early interceptive
methods when needed, better and more complete corrections
can be attained.
Major
orthodontic problems can be present behind perfectly acceptable
smiles, and these problems, if left untreated, can severely
jeopardize the health of teeth, gums, and jaw joints.
With
these facts in mind, we hope you will have all your children
examined by age 7 so that we can give your family the maximum
dental care they deserve. In the interest of prevention, we
are happy to offer all initial examinations and follow-up
visits at no charge. If you would like to take advantage of
this offer, please call our office or tell our Scheduling
Coordinator. She will be glad to set up a convenient time
for you.
Ages 2 through 6
Should treatment begin
before the permanent teeth erupt?
This stage of development includes children in the primary
dentition "baby teeth" which continues until the
eruption of the permanent incisors (front teeth) and first
molars. At this young age, the severity of the problem will
dictate the necessary treatment.
Preventive treatment such as space maintenance in a patient
with premature tooth loss (due to trauma or dental diseases),
may be required. Controlling harmful habits such as finger
or thumb sucking is often best done before the eruption of
the permanent teeth, depending on the child's willingness
to stop. In addition, a child who breathes primarily through
the mouth should be evaluated for a restricted nasal air flow,
because chronic mouth breathing can possibly lead to future
developmental skeletal problems.
As a general rule, treatment during this age period is kept
simple, since the child has a limited understanding of the
problem and limited ability to comply with the prescribed
treatment.
Ages 6 through 12
What problems can and should be corrected?
This stage of development follows the eruption of the permanent
incisors (front teeth) and first permanent molars (six year
molars), and is commonly referred to as the "mixed dentition
stage". This stage represents an excellent time for the
correction of dental and skeletal problems because: 1) During
this time, sixteen permanent teeth will erupt and guidance
of this eruption can facilitate the correction of many malocclusions.
2) Skeletal disharmonies may require the orthodontist to have
as much control as possible over the direction and magnitude
of the facial growth pattern. 3) Psychological development,
understanding of treatment goals and patient cooperation is
better handled at this stage.
Problems that are commonly treated during this stage of development
include:
(1) Excessive overjet- This bite may be caused by protruding
front teeth and/or an underlying jaw discrepancy.
2) Underbite- This bite may be caused by the upper and lower
teeth being out of position and/or an underlying jaw discrepancy.
3) Deep bite - The upper and lower teeth may vertically overlap
excessively when the back teeth are biting together.
4) Openbite - The front or back teeth may teeth fail to meet
when biting together.
5) Crossbite - The upper teeth are inside the lower teeth
when the patient is biting together.
Other problems that can be treated during this stage are
prolonged thumb and finger sucking habits, abnormal swallowing
habits, mouth breathing, and excessive crowding.
Treatment planning for these individuals usually emphasizes
correction of severe skeletal problems (orthopedics), as well
as severe dental problems. Custom made appliances are prescribed
and designed according to the problem being treated. The appliance
may be removable or fixed (cemented/ or bonded), and may require
the use of extra-oral orthopedic forces (headgears). The appliance
can be made of metal, plastic or both. All treatment modalities
during this stage of development strive to correctly align
the teeth and jaws so that the remaining facial growth will
be balanced. Following this interceptive treatment phase,
the patient will normally be monitored on a regular basis
as they continue to grow and develop.
Adolescent treatment (permanent teeth)
This stage of development constitutes the majority of orthodontic
patients being treated in the United States. There are two
primary reasons: 1) The patients in this age group are undergoing
pubescent growth, and this represents an excellent time for
correction of most mild skeletal and dental problems. 2) The
permanent dentition is now present and the orthodontist has
control over the development of the final occlusion. Normal
pubescent ages for females are between the ages of 10 to 13,
and between the ages of 11 and 16 for males.
It should be noted however, that individuals demonstrate wide
variations in their physiological, psychological, and dental
development. Delayed or accelerated growth in an individual
is not unusual and will not necessarily maintained throughout
their development. Consequently, an individual may experience
growth spurts varying in both intensity and duration throughout
their developmental years.
Braces, or comprehensive fixed appliance therapy, is the
most common treatment of choice in this age group. These appliances
may be augmented by any number of other removable or fixed
appliances depending upon the orthodontic problem.
Why is early orthodontic treatment important?
Every parent wants his or her child to have a beautiful smile,
and everyone should have a healthy one. The goal of the orthodontist
is to help achieve both for the patient.
Untreated malocclusions "bad bites" may contribute
to conditions that worsen with age. Crooked and crowded teeth
are more difficult to clean and maintain which may contribute
not only to tooth decay, but eventual gum disease and tooth
loss. Other orthodontic problems can cause abnormal wear of
tooth surfaces, excess stress on the supporting bone and gum
tissue, or even misalignment of the jaw joints with resultant
chronic headaches or pains in the face and neck.
The importance of an attractive smile should not be underestimated.
A pleasing appearance is a vital asset to one's self-confidence.
A child's self esteem often improves as treatment brings teeth,
lips and face into harmony. In this way, early orthodontic
treatment gives the child a sense of control because it provides
an opportunity to participate in the improvement of his or
her appearance.
Encouraging good dental health habits and providing professional
dental care at an early age produces benefits that will last
a lifetime. Remember that your child should begin regular
visits to the family dentist at age 2. At age 7, or earlier
if a problem is suspected, your child should have an orthodontic
examination. This allows the orthodontic specialist the best
opportunity to prevent serious problems from developing and
to provide corrective treatment at the best age for your child
to have the most beautiful and healthiest smile possible.
An Important Message to the Parents of Young Children:
PRE-ORTHODONTIC GUIDANCE PROGRAM
If the child you have in orthodontic treatment now has younger
brothers or sisters, or if you have a child between 7 and
9 years old, this information may be of help to you.
Often children within a family will exhibit certain predictable
patterns of growth in much the same way they inherit similar
eye and hair color. Like other family traits, particular patterns
of tooth and jaw development also "run in the family".
As a preventative orthodontic office, we like to examine
children by the age of 7. Usually no orthodontic treatment
will be needed at this time. However, by making use of early
interceptive methods when needed, better and more complete
corrections can be attained.
Major orthodontic problems can be present behind perfectly
acceptable smiles, and these problems, if left untreated,
can severely jeopardize the health of teeth, gums, and jaw
joints.
With these facts in mind, we hope you will have all your
children examined by age 7 so that we can give your family
the maximum dental care they deserve. In the interest of prevention,
we are happy to offer all initial examinations and follow-up
visits at no charge. If you would like to take advantage of
this offer, please call our office or tell our Scheduling
Coordinator. She will be glad to set up a convenient time
for you.
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