BENEFITS OF EARLY ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

According to American Association of Orthodontists, children should get their

first orthodontic consultation at the age of 7 to recognise any developing
orthodontic problem.
Importance of early orthodontic intervention are as follows:
1. Early identification:
Age is a significant factor to determine and treat orthodontic issues.
Few malocclusions worsen with growth and complexity of
treatment increases with age. Treating skeletal malocclusion at an
early age will eliminate or minimize the need for surgery in the
future. It helps to reduce the need for braces or uncomfortable
appliances during adulthood.

Types of malocclusion/issue which need early orthodontic

interventions are as follows
 Class II malocclusion
This malocclusion comprises of either excess growth of
Upper jaw or deficient growth of lower jaw or combination
of both.
This is one of the most common skeletal malocclusions
observed.
This should be treated in the mixed dentition phases i.e 10-
13 years by wearing a removable appliance provided by an
Orthodontist.
This appliance helps in growth of lower jaw and restricting
growth of upper jaw, which harnesses the inherent growth
potential of the child and corrects the deficiency of lower
jaw naturally.

 Class III malocclusion

This malocclusion comprises of either excess growth of
Lower jaw or deficient growth of upper jaw or combination
of both.
This should be treated in the early mixed dentition phase 7-9
years by wearing a removable appliance provided by an
Orthodontist.
This appliance helps in growth of upper jaw and restricting
growth of lower jaw thus minimises the need for surgical
jaw correction during adulthood.

 Correction of anterior or posterior crossbites

 Anterior Crossbite
 Anterior crossbite comprises of lower front teeth
occluding ahead of upper front teeth. This might
increase chances of developing Class III
malocclusion, Jaw joint issues, Trauma from
occlusion which again makes the tooth weak. Early
Identification and treatment of anterior crossbite by
using a removable appliance can avoid or reduce
above issues only during the growth phase.

 Posterior Crossbite
Constriction of upper jaw may face difficulty in
breathing through nasal effortlessly and increases
chances of Jaw joint problem.
This may cause nasal resistance, and resultant mouth
breathing. Mouth breathing might cause alteration in
facial and dental features in the long run like narrow
nose, shortened upper lip, dull mask like face, sunken
eyes. crowding of teeth, etc.
Posterior crossbite when identified and treated at an
early stage will widen the upper jaw which eases the
child to breathe through the nose.

2. Improves confidence:
Skeletal Malocclusion affects social and emotional well being of
children since they are more prone to bullying. It is also associated
with poor school performance among adolescents.
Orthodontic treatment at an early stage helps the child to develop
confidence and increase self-esteem.

3. Lowers risk of tooth decay and periodontal problems:

Crowded and crooked teeth tend to get more cavities than those
that are aligned properly. Those who have undergone orthodontic
treatment are able to clean their teeth more effectively, which may
result to a significant reduction in dental caries and periodontal
disease.

4. Reduced risk of speech problems:

Teeth and jaw malocclusion might be one of the underlying causes
of speech difficulties.
Due to abnormal position or growth of jaws the tongue position
gets altered which in turn causes speech issues.
 Treating malocclusion at early stage will help the child pronounce
and articulate words efficiently which in turn helps them in
performing well at academics and communication.

5. Reduced risk of tooth and soft tissue injury:

Cross bites, deep bite, highly placed canines can reduce the life of
the tooth due to increased chances of wear due to friction with
opposing tooth. Highly places canines might also cause soft tissue
injury.

6. Corrects harmful oral habits:

Habit breaking appliances can reduce the risk of malocclusion.
Thumb sucking (above 3 years of age) and Tongue thrusting is one
of the common reasons to cause deficient lower jaw.

Mouth breathing might cause dental crowding, elongated facial

features, deficient jaws etc. It is important to identify the cause for
mouth breathing since there are various reasons which predispose
to this habit. Enlarged adenoids or tonsils, deviated nasal septum,
etc are few reasons which might cause mouth breathing.

Nail biting increases friction of teeth against nails can gradually

wear the enamel away, or even cause teeth to chip or crack. Biting
nails doesn't just damage the teeth, it can also cause them to move,
leading to malocclusions (problems with the bite) and gaps.

Bruxism is basically grinding the teeth or clenching the jaw. It can

be caused if the teeth are not aligned properly, stress, cerebral palsy
etc. This increases friction of teeth against the opposing teeth can
gradually wear the enamel away.

Atypical Swallowing describes a type of insufficient swallowing.

More specifically, the person pushes their tongue forward as they
swallow, pressing against the incisors or even between the upper
and lower teeth. This can cause teeth to shift and lead to
pronunciation problems.

Eliminating oral habits with an interceptive functional treatment

allows for restoring the correct development of the bone bases and
normal occlusion.