Articles

Dental Malocclusions: Their Causes and Cures

Your St. Louis dentist might refer your seven-year-old son to an orthodontist because an overbite was diagnosed during examination. You hesitate to say it but thought it was too soon for braces.

But malocclusions--incorrect positioning between the upper and lower jaw-- are best treated early. They can be corrected before real cosmetic and medical harm to the patient occurs. With an early start the treatment time may be reduced to months instead of years in some cases.

If left untreated these orthodontic problems can eventually lead to headaches, TMD, breathing problems, or trouble with eating and speech. Not to mention the fact that crowded teeth are harder to clean and prone to cavities. Your son has seen ads for clear removable forms that can now be used instead of metal or ceramic braces. As soon as your family dentist has spoken the word “orthodontist” your son insists that this is the only kind he’ll wear. “Not yet”, he’s told. Orthodontists prefer to use this newer treatment only after the secondary molars have erupted at about age twelve.

Although about 70% of American orthodontists are now trained to use this treatment, they still prefer to use them on class I or milder malocclusions. It is possible to combine the traditional treatment with follow-up acrylic aligners.

Your son is disappointed. “Why me?” he says.

The dentist points out that most of these dental issues are inherited although some are acquired by use of pacifiers or thumb sucking in infancy. Sometimes premature tooth loss can be the cause. It may seem like the end of the world at seven. Two to three years worth of orthodontics is nearly one-third of his life so far. But the dedicated effort will produce decades of benefits from improved dental health.

The dentist has a brochure showing the “before” and “after” photos of patients with class II and class III dental malocclusions whose smiles have been saved by modern orthodontics. These photos do the trick. Your son agrees that he’ll consider braces.

But the treatment options still depend on the orthodontist’s examination. The orthodontist will use two phases of examination to evaluate your son. He will look at him from the front to see how his face and jaw appear.

He will watch the way his mouth and jaw work when he talks. This will give the best innitial diagnosis of over or underbite. It will help determine whether the movement of the jaw is adversely affected. The second phase of examination will involve technical evaluations. Through radiography, and oral examination the orthodontist will determine in more accurate terms what process will be required. He may need to perform extractions if teeth are too crowded. He may not if there is too much room and gaps are developing.

There are a variety of appliances, headgear and retainers sometimes even orthographic surgery which may be employed during the course of treatment. It can be a very demanding time for both your son and you. The child will need to be especially diligent with dental hygiene especially around the appliances which can trap plaque which cause a negative impact on the teeth.

For the family there are multiple visits to the orthodontist which can be taxing for busy parents. There is often a gap between the cost covered by dental insurance and actual cost. The process will cost thousands of dollars and many of those dollars will be out-of-pocket. There are usually payment plans available and many orthodontists accept credit cards.

There are many factors to be considered before embarking on a course of orthodontia with your child. It takes dedication and determination. The results are usually very satisfactory. But the first step is that initial consultation.