Early Orthodontic Treatment
What is Early Orthodontic Treatment?
Many orthodontic problems, if treated early, can prevent the need for more complex and costly treatments later. Research shows that conditions such as posterior crossbites, some Class II and Class III malocclusions, open bites, and arch length discrepancies can often be effectively managed with simple, early interventions. See an article on early orthodontic treatment published in the Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics
Children can be candidates for orthodontic treatment at an earlier age. The American Orthodontic Association recommends that children be examined by the age of 7. Click to access the American Orthodontic Association’s article on early orthodontic treatment.
The first permanent teeth to erupt in our mouth are the lower and upper incisors, then the first molars erupt around the age of 6-7. It is possible to diagnose problems such as malocclusion in children early after these teeth erupt. In addition to malocclusion at this age, problems such as crowding, deep bite, open bite, cross bite can also be diagnosed and solved with early orthodontic treatment.
Not all diagnosed problems can be treated at an early age. Some problems require intervention around the age of 12-13. Early treatment, which we call Phase 1 treatment, can also be financially comforting for parents. Because when treatment is delayed, you will deal with bigger problems, and therefore the cost will be higher.
Early orthodontic treatment, which we call Phase 1 treatment, helps prevent serious occlusion problems, ensures that the jaws grow correctly, and provides the space needed for permanent teeth to come in. In addition, severely crooked teeth make it difficult to provide adequate oral hygiene.
There are several ways to determine if your child needs early treatment. If your child has any of the following, it may be beneficial to see an orthodontist:
- Early loss of baby teeth
- Teeth not closing normally when mouth is closed
- Mouth breathing and snoring
- Crooked upper and lower incisors
- Difficulty eating or chewing
- Speech disorder
- Shifting of the lower jaw when your child opens/closes his/her mouth
- Your child sucks his/her thumb even though he/she is over 5 years old
Early orthodontic treatment is performed while the child’s bones are still soft. Bones begin to harden after puberty. When the bones are soft, it is much easier to direct and correct their development than it is for adults.
So what are the types of orthodontic treatments performed at an early age? I will briefly try to explain the most common treatments with examples. The information here is for general information purposes, each patient is different and only your doctor can decide on the treatment to be performed.
Face Mask
A face mask is used in cases where the upper jaw is too far back compared to the lower jaw. In orthodontics, this condition is called “Class III orthodontic disorder“. The face mask pulls the upper jaw forward by taking support from the lower jaw and forehead. By bringing the upper jaw forward, both dental occlusion is corrected and facial aesthetics are improved. Face mask treatment is usually applied to children who have not completed their development. Therefore, early examination and diagnosis are important.
You can get more detailed information by looking at my article about the face mask.
Functional Orthodontic Treatment
Functional treatment is applied to correct the upper jaw that is forward or the lower jaw that is backward in growing children.
In cases where the lower jaw is behind the upper jaw, the upper front teeth usually appear to be protruding. Upper teeth that protrude in this way are prone to trauma and are often the subject of ridicule among children. Therefore, treating this anomaly both eliminates the possibility of teeth breaking and reduces the child’s psychological stress.
The appliances used for functional treatment solve the problems we call ‘Class II orthodontic disorders’ in orthodontics. In this disorder, the upper jaw can be forward, the lower jaw can be backward or a combination of the two. Functional appliances can be either bonded to the teeth or removable. Functional appliances bonded to the teeth cannot be removed by the patient. The best example of these is the Herbst appliance. Removable functional appliances can be weared and removed by the patient, although they usually consist of two pieces attached to the lower and upper jaws, there are also single-piece types.
Click to get more detailed information about functional orthodontic treatment and functional appliances.
Upper Jaw Expansion
Jaw expansion appliances gradually widen the jaws to create more space in the child’s jaw. This may sound a little scary, but the procedure is easy and children get used to these appliances easily. The goal of jaw expansion is to move the bones, which are made up of two pieces of bone, away from each other and create bone in between. These two pieces gradually begin to fuse after puberty. It is easy to expand the two pieces of bone before they start to fuse. After the expansion process is complete, the appliance is used for a while to fill the gap with bone.
Click here for more detailed information about upper jaw expansion.
