Orthodontists are closely identified with creating straight smiles for youth and adults. They also improve other aspects of oral health in children who suffer with jaw growth issues. Specifically, they can use dentofacial orthopedics to improve the position and dimensions of the facial bone and jaw – a practice that can prove vital for children who suffer from specific developmental problems. In the interest of oral health, parents should familiarize themselves with what dentofacial orthopedics is and what sort of treatments it might entail.
What is Dentofacial Orthopedics?
Dentofacial orthopedics is a specialty focused on jaw development. The upper and lower jaws grow in three dimensions as a child grows older, and the way they grow can affect the positioning of certain parts of the face. In some cases, the two jaws will grow at different rates and end up different sizes. Consequently, the teeth won’t line up properly, resulting in an underbite, an overbite, and similar occlusions. At their most severe, such bite problems can cause breathing difficulties or impair the child’s ability to chew certain foods. With dentofacial orthopedics, such problems can be treated or avoided.
How Will Parents Know if Dentofacial Orthopedics are Required?
It can be difficult for parents to identify jaw growth problems on their own; a professional’s opinion will be required. An orthodontist in Lake Zurich can identify jaw growth problems as early as ages 7 to 9. If they find an issue with the way that the upper and lower jaws are growing, they can develop a treatment plan to guide the development in a more positive direction.
What Dentofacial Orthopedic Appliances are Available?
Different oral appliances are employed for different corrections. For dentofacial orthopedics, the following are particularly common examples of appliances that might be used as part of the treatment plan.
- Palate Expander: As the name suggests, the appliance is made for the palate on the upper jaw. It’s used to push the cartilage in the jaw apart when it’s too small for a full set of teeth.
- Lower Jaw Expander: The lower jawbone can be stretched the same way the upper one can; as such, this type of expander is used to move the teeth apart.
- Activators: An activator is a special kind of appliance that has been used for decades to move the upper and lower jaws forward as needed.
- Block: This appliance is fixed in place and uses the force of the child’s own bite to gradually move the teeth towards a more comfortable position.
- Orthodontic Headgear: Headgear straps around the face in order to apply forces to the jaw and make corrections that couldn’t be made within the mouth.
Every child will have different needs; it’s important for parents to go over all of the available options with their orthodontist so that they understand what changes have to be made to maintain a healthy jaw and smile over the years.
About the Practice
At Grand Dental – Lake Zurich, we love helping children at all ages develop beautiful smiles that will last the rest of their lives. Our in-house orthodontist can use braces and a variety of dentofacial orthopedic appliances to correct all manner of dental misalignments and occlusions. To schedule a consultation for your child, visit our website or call (847) 438-8136.