Early Intervention Orthodontics
What is Malocclusion?
In a modern an industrialized world malocclusion in an endemic problem and as now become the “norm”. Malocclusion can be defined as an incorrect relationship between the maxilla and the mandible (skeletal), or a general misalignment of the teeth (dental). In fact, 85% of malocclusions are skeletally based but are being treated dentally, and were developed during the kids grow process.
What is the cause?
Malocclusion´s cause has been attributed only to genetics and heredity. However, how can be explain than has become broadly common in developed and industrialized countries? Today, we know that some factors, such as oral posture (tongue, lips and teeth), absence of nasal breathing, soft food without necessity of chewing, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, among others, constitute important factors responsible for the most of malocclusions and facial deformities, or factors that enhance the worsening of genetic pattern,.
“The ideal development of the jaws and teeth is dependent on correct oral posture with the tongue resting on the palate, the lips sealed and the teeth in light contact for between four and eight hours a day.”(Tropic Premise, Professor John Mew, The Cure and the Cause of Malocclusion, UK, 2013)
What should I observe?
Usually, parents aren´t alert to malocclusion appearance and development, or acquired habits that contributes to the development of malocclusion, and will aggravate it.
Some conditions must be identified by the parents to intervene, correct or eliminate such as
Why we should correct?
The maintaining of these conditions will worsen the malocclusion, altering the normal pattern of craniofacial development. They must be corrected as soon as possible, to establish the correct oral posture, reconstruct the normal position of the jaws and teeth during the growing process, oral function and nasal breathing, avoid skeletal, dental and functional problems, as well as irreversible facial deformities.
“The scientific evidence was considered strong since four studies with high level of quality reported that malocclusions have negative effects on oral health-related quality of life , predominantly in the dimensions of emotional and social wellbeing.”(Dimberg L, Arnrup K, Bondemark L. The impact of malocclusion on the quality of life among children and adolescents: a systematic review of quantitative studies. European Journal of Orthodontics 2014 Sep 11.)
When and how we can correct?
All conditions that can disrupt the normal craniofacial development and growth must be corrected as soon as possible, ie when identified, provided that the child has the maturity to cooperate with treatment.
We can intervene since Pre-school children (2 to 5 years) through adolescence, in guidance the facial growth through correction of oral posture, myofunctional therapy, or correcting the masticatory function with occlusal adjustment, in order to eliminate or control the adverse factors.
