The Importance of

The Importance of Early Orthodontic Treatment

Parents are approaching dentists daily about their child’s crowded or protruding teeth and spaces between teeth. Today’s parents do not accept the answers given by some dentists and orthodontists when observing that their son or daughter has a problem: “No treatment is indicated at this time, the patient is too young, and the malocclusion will be observed and treated when the permanent teeth erupt in.” Yet for practitioners, trained with a preventive philosophy, this approach seems completely illogical when statistics have proven that malocclusions when left untreated worsen over time. The term “supervised neglect” seems very appropriate.

One of the main reasons why a dentist should treat children during the mixed dentition stage of development is that there is such a high incidence of malocclusion in children. This was quite evident from the Burlington Growth Study, Toronto, Canada, where it was revealed that 75 percent of children, age 12, have some form of malocclusion.

Since 90 percent of the face is developed by age 12, practitioners must treat early if they want to guide and modify the growth of younger patients. In many dental offices, dentists emphasize a functional orthopedic philosophy and favor a two-phase orthodontic treatment. They recommend seeing children for an initial evaluation between ages 6 and 7.

Phase 1 is referred to as Mixed Dentition or the Orthopedic Phase. At this time, thumb sucking, digital habits, anterior and lateral tongue thrusts, airway problems including mouth breathing and snoring and jaw joint (TMJ) problems must be corrected by Sheri Salartash, DDS, FAGD

early with functional appliances. Skeletal problems such as constricted maxillary or mandibular arches and prognathic or retrognathic mandibles are best treated as early as possible with functional appliances in the mixed dentition period of growth.

Phase 2 is referred to as Permanent Dentition or the Orthodontic Phase. Dental problems are solved with straight wire appliances (fixed) braces in permanent dentition. One of the main advantages of early treatment is the majority of malocclusions that can be corrected non-surgically and without the extraction of permanent teeth. Parents favor the use of functional appliances to correct under-developed mandibles in the mixed dentition stage rather than delay treatment until all the permanent teeth erupt. Dentists who are trained to use jaw repositioning appliances such as the ALF, Functional Orthopedic appliances, Twin Block, Rick-ANator and Schwarz appliances to name a few, find it ludicrous to wait when children can be treated in seven to 12 months non-surgically using functional appliances.

There are significant benefits to early treatment. For those patients who have clear indications for early intervention, early treatment presents the opportunity to influence jaw growth in a positive manner, simplify and/or shorten treatment time, harmonize the width of the dental arches, reduce the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, improve eruption patterns and improve some speech problems.

Dentists and parents come to understand that there is a lower risk of trauma to protruded upper incisors, early intervention makes it possible to preserve or gain space for erupting permanent teeth, correct harmful oral habits, improve breathing and correct airway problems as well as to improve aesthetics and self-esteem for the child.

Dr. Sheri Salartash, DDS, FAGD, offers comprehensive care for the mouth. From her green office, Dental Excellence Integrative Center, in Alexandria, using sustainable materials and advanced laser technology, Salartash treats both children and adults. To learn more about drill-free dentistry, call 703-745-5496 or visit DentalExcellenceVa. com. See listing, page 25.