Not all children need braces, and a lot fewer young people will require them if a dentist intervenes early. Jerry Massimei, D.D.S., A.P.C., is a dentist who specializes in providing gentle, experienced dental care to residents in Chula Vista, Eastlake and Bonita, California and runs his own practice, Jerry Massimei Dentistry. Here, he discusses the advantages of interceptive orthodontics.
Interceptive orthodontics is the definition we give to diagnose a condition in a young child, from the age of about 5 to 10, where there is going to become an orthodontic problem.
By interceding, or intercepting, this potential problem, taking steps to change the environment in the mouth, we ensure that there will be enough room needed tor the permanent teeth to come through and position themselves correctly, without the need for braces.
Nite-Guide
Sometimes we give a child a type of appliance to wear called a Nite-Guide, which is only worn when they sleep. It is a pre-formed, self-opening appliance, designed for the baby dentition to allow erupting upper and lower adult front teeth to be guided in straight. The appliance then holds these teeth straight while fibers develop around them to hold the correction.
The Nite-Guide increases the size of the jaws in the area of the front teeth to help correct crowding. It is designed to correct overbite, crowding and some open bites.
Prevention Better Than Cure
The concept of interceptive orthodontics is not used to the extent it should be in dentistry. That is due to the fact that general dentists are not trained well in dental schools about the art of moving teeth, and they wind up waiting until the patient is 12 years old to refer him to an orthodontist. Often, this occurs at the time when the teeth are already in a crowded position, so then you have to go to full braces.
If the general dentist was more aware of this, he would be able to refer a patient to an orthodontist at much earlier age. That means that the orthodontist, being a specialist, would have the knowledge to intercede and do what is necessary to either eliminate or reduce the need for braces when a child has lost all his baby teeth.
The whole concept of interceptive orthodontics is to stimulate optimal bone growth so that there is enough room for the teeth to come through without being crowded. That may include the possibility that a diagnosis of tonsillar or adenoidal hypertrophy would indicate the removal of tonsils and adenoids.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
