Children should have their first orthodontic evaluation by the American Association of Orthodontists by the age of seven. For some parents, early checkups mean braces for their young children. On the other hand, this isn’t the norm. When a child is seven years old, he or she is likely to have his or her first set of permanent teeth. Since Dr. Maarten Broess can see how the patient’s bite changes over time, the first consultation is usually merely an examination of the patient’s teeth. It’s kid-friendly and entertaining at our Papillion orthodontic practice.
The Maarten Broess Orthodontics staff welcomes children of all ages to come in and play. Finally, Dr. Maarten Broess checks their mouth and, if everything is OK, they’ll return back once a year so he can monitor their growth and development. When the moment is ripe to begin therapy, he’ll let you know. Interceptive orthodontics, or two-phase orthodontic therapy, may be prescribed on rare occasions by Dr. Maarten Broess if he notices specific red signs. What is early orthodontic treatment? How may it benefit you? And what does the procedure entail?
Interceptive Orthodontics treatment for the pediatric patient
Early orthodontic treatment has a positive impact on patients’ self-esteem and self-concept. There are many common orthodontic difficulties, and this article seeks to highlight the current best practices for each one.
Class I malocclusion
The most prevalent malocclusion in the United States is the Class I malocclusion (Figure 1), which has a frequency of 48.1%.
Class II malocclusion
Class II division 1 malocclusion with pro-cleaned upper incisors and enhanced overjet (Figure 2) has a local frequency of 26.3%2.
Upper protruding incisors cause dental damage. Small mandibles cause lower teeth to bite into upper palatal gingivae. This causes gingival recession or palatal discomfort. Untreated bites may need surgery. Palate gingival trauma might induce irreparable gum disease.
Early treatment with a functional appliance or headgear reduces incisal damage by 33 to 41%3.
Growth modification should occur during the teenage growth surge.
Treatment may begin at 11 to 12 years in females, before menarche, and 12 to 13 years in males. Mandibular posture may divert development forward. As the kid grows, normal musculoskeletal changes rebuild the temporomandibular joint and reposition the mandible.
Class III malocclusion
It (Figure 4) is more frequent in the US than among Caucasians, with a frequency of 22.4%2.
This patients can’t bite with their front teeth. In mild situations, they might touch their front teeth, causing a posterior open bite. In order to function, they momentarily move their mandible forward, which may result in a remodeled temporomandibular joint. Untreated, this may cause biting and jaw difficulties.
Anterior crossbite
This may cause wear and fractures in the front teeth, gingival recession, and incisor tooth movement if left untreated.
Early crossbite treatment may help prevent long-term complications, such as poor tooth eruption and temporomandibular joint problems if left untreated.
Anterior open bite
In spite of the posterior teeth coming together, the anterior teeth are unable to contact, leading to an open bite (AOB) (Figure 6). To compensate for the loss of function of the front teeth in chewing, posterior teeth must carry an increased burden and wear down more rapidly.
Teeth eruption problems and impaction
Figure 7 shows an example of maxillary permanent incisor tooth failure during the mixed dentition period, which typically occurs between the ages of seven and nine. Trauma, lack of space, and other factors may all contribute to this. Extra or deformed teeth in the anterior maxilla segment might obstruct the eruption of permanent teeth in as many as 28% to 60% of cases6.
In adolescents, missing and unerupted maxillary incisors may have a significant influence on facial and dental aesthetics, which can damage self-esteem and social interaction7.7 In addition, the strain on neighboring teeth roots might lead to the formation of a cyst or damage if a permanent tooth becomes lodged beneath the gums.
What is interceptive Orthodontic treatment and how does it work?
Orthodontic therapy for children who are still developing and have most of their main teeth is called early orthodontic treatment, interceptive orthodontic treatment, or two-phase orthodontic treatment. So that later treatment may be done with less difficulty, the objective is to guide a child’s growth and development to correct or avoid specific types of malocclusions (defects in tooth size, location, or spacing). When the face and jaw are completely formed, it is much more difficult to manipulate them and achieve significant effects, and waiting until maturity might mean having surgery in situations like a severe underbite or overbite. Early orthodontic treatment allows us to identify and fix the problem before it becomes a major issue.
The use of orthodontic equipment to direct face and jaw development is known as dentofacial orthopedics, and Dr. Maarten Broess is trained in both fields. Phase 1 orthodontic therapy often includes a youngster wearing an item such as a space maintainer, a palatal expander, or minimal braces. In our practice, Maarten Broess Orthodontics, we always strive to complete early orthodontic treatment within 12 months. We’ll let your child’s baby teeth fall out after we’ve completed phase 1 orthodontic therapy and reached our objectives. Braces or Invisalign Teen may then be used as part of phase two treatment, which typically begins at age 12 or 13. Make any required adjustments and get a lovely, healthy grin out of them with this method.
Interceptive orthodontic treatment for children
Age 8 or 9 is a good age for interceptive orthodontic treatment (also known as Phase-One or Early Treatment). For those who are 11 or older, Phase Two will begin. An underbite and other bite issues may be corrected with early treatment. As a result, extractions are less likely in the future if therapy is started early enough.
Is my child a candidate for interceptive Orthodontics?
Is it worth it to get orthodontics done early? In fact, not all children need interceptive orthodontic treatment, although 15 to 20 percent of them may benefit from it. What might lead you to need Phase One Orthodontic treatment?
- Significant overcrowding and misalignment by the time a child reaches the age of seven (remember, the permanent teeth are bigger than the primary teeth and will need more room to come in properly)
- Baby tooth deterioration or loss (a space maintainer can prevent the surrounding teeth from shifting into the space left behind and blocking out the underlying permanent tooth)
- Protruding and easily damaged front teeth
- Overbite, underbite, open bite, or crossbite are all examples of skeletal problems (anterior or posterior)
- Chewing, biting, or speaking effectively might be difficult.
Simple interceptive treatments
The movement of teeth and jaws isn’t necessarily part of interceptive orthodontic therapy. Maintaining room for future teeth might be straightforward. The usage of a “space maintainer” is one such example. These are little devices that are occasionally used to replace a primary (baby) tooth that was lost prematurely or was extracted. Holds a spot for a permanent tooth to grow into, often composed of acrylic or stainless steel. It’s common for a permanent tooth to emerge in an ideal spot if the space between the teeth is left open. You can’t get away from the fact that prevention is always better than treatment in this case.
Interceptive therapy does not always need the use of devices. These practices may develop major biting difficulties, such as an open bite—where the top and bottom teeth don’t connect, and open space is seen in the front of the smile—if they continue on for too long (far beyond the age of three). The use of calendar charts and stickers, on the other hand, may be sufficient for young children to overcome their bad habits: a basic method of behavior change.
The benefits of early Orthodontic treatment
As a pediatric dentist, Dr. Maarten Broess takes the time to explain his findings to you in detail, utilizing images and x-rays. Early orthodontic treatment has its advantages and disadvantages, which he will balance for you and answer all of your concerns about. Early orthodontic treatment has a number of advantages if it is required:
- adjusting the symmetry of the face via the development of the jaw
- To reduce the risk of injury, shifting the teeth that protrude out of their sockets
- reducing the time, cost, and complexity of any further treatment that may be required
- reducing the likelihood of having to undergo surgery or extractions
- preparing the mouth so that the permanent teeth may erupt straightly
- Make sure that teeth aren’t crowded so that they don’t get impacted or come in at the incorrect angle
- Addressing difficulties in chewing and speaking.
- enhancing the self-esteem and self-confidence of children
- It’s a beautiful grin!
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Orthodontic Bite Blocks
Bottom line
Using early intervention, interceptive orthodontics aims to enhance future outcomes by guiding tooth eruption and correcting malocclusions (abnormal bites) (s). Fixed or detachable appliances are often used to do this.
You may want to consider space maintainers if your kid loses any of his/her primary teeth due to trauma, decay, or congenital factors (spacers). A custom-made metal gadget, called a space maintainer, is designed to fit snugly in your child’s mouth. Small and inconspicuous are the best words to describe them. After a few days, most youngsters are able to adapt to them.
