DENTOFACIAL ORTHOPEDICS
Orthodontic Treatment for Children
Children are often the best candidates for receiving dentofacial orthopedic therapy. Beginning at a young age, your orthodontist will examine and monitor your child’s growth to determine when treatment starting treatment will be most effective. If your child begins orthodontic treatment before all adult teeth have erupted, it is known as phase-one treatment. During phase-one treatment, your orthodontist will use treatments designed to correct your child’s jaw growth and make sure that the jaw bone is properly aligned before beginning the second phase of treatment, which usually involves braces to straighten the teeth.
Orthodontic Treatment for Adults
Dentofacial orthopedics is also used to treat adults; however, this process may involve surgery. In children, the jaw bones are still forming and have not completely hardened, making it easier for orthodontists to control bone growth and tooth movement. Adults, however, are no longer growing, and their jaw bones have hardened making it more of a challenge to adjust the bite and move teeth into proper alignment if the facial bones are misaligned.
Surgery may be used to adjust the jaw bone and establish the proper bite alignment before beginning a braces treatment. With dentofacial orthopedics, adults can still achieve the beautiful smile they’ve always wanted.
Surgery may be used to adjust the jaw bone and establish the proper bite alignment before beginning a braces treatment. With dentofacial orthopedics, adults can still achieve the beautiful smile they’ve always wanted.
