Many years ago it was rare for a child to undergo a dental procedure known as orthodontics treatment. Instead, treatment was most often performed when all adult permanent teeth are available. Unfortunately, orthodontics treatment at this older age often necessitated the removal of numbers of permanent teeth.
Orthodontics treatment has come a long way since then. Today, it is extremely rare for a child to require the removal of a tooth or teeth. Crowded teeth that are identified at a young age can benefit from expansion treatment and thus avoid the last resort, extraction treatment. Interceptive or two stage treatment has a goal or correcting existing problems and reducing the severity of other problems which can develop in the future.
The advantages of early treatment include: protecting protrusive teeth from fracture during sports activities and/or accidents; correcting the dental framework to allow a more ideal tooth eruption and/or proper development of the bite; improved self-image at a younger age; and a higher degree of cooperation and enthusiasm from our younger patients.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children must be screened for orthodontics treatment at the age of seven. Although this may seem too young, the main reason for the early screening is that by age seven, the lower front teeth are beginning to erupt, and the develop crowded teeth can be identified. Additionally, by this age the direction of facial growth has often been determined and if orthodontics treatment will be required, the treatment can often be planned pro-actively versus retroactively. If you suspect a problem in your child's teeth, consult a children dentist Singapore.
Protruded teeth can be unattractive and prone to accidental damage. When teeth protrude, who is at a greater risk for trauma, boys or girls? The answer to the question of who experiences more trauma, boys or girls, is very interesting. Boys and girls have an equal chance of traumatizing their teeth. This finding surprised me; I had always believed boys experience more traumas to their teeth. In fact, boys and girls have a one in three chance of traumatizing their teeth. It is not surprising too that the further the teeth protrude, the more likely the teeth will be traumatized, and conversely, the more the teeth are pulled back, the less likely the teeth will be traumatized.
In a recent issue of the American Journal of Orthodontics, an article was written comparing different types of orthodontics treatment. One of the factors studied was early correction of protruded teeth. The question was "does early correction of protruded teeth reduce the likelihood of trauma to these teeth?" The key to treating protruding teeth is early treatment. Protruding teeth should be moved back at as early an age as feasible in order to avoid unnecessary trauma to these teeth. Protrusion, if left untreated, can cause problems that will affect speech, hygiene and dental function.
No comments:
Post a Comment