Orthodontics

Orthodontics is literally Straight Teeth. We are not  focussed on pretty teeth, but we are focussed on Function. These people all had pain. Headaches, neck pain, TMJ and often poor sleep. Who can sleep if they are in pain?

The manner we apply orthodontic techniques is very gentle. By using ultra-light forces, we can switch on the mechanism present during your growth years.  These forces are so light we can not only shift teeth but also grow the supporting bone. This means that small jaws can be made bigger. This is important when the jaw bones have not grown properly. When the upper jaw is too small and the lower jaw has to fit in, often badly and causes muscle pain. This is what causes many headaches and tooth grinding.

Early intervention Orthodontics  

When birth trauma or poor nutrition lead to  poor growth, the face grows in odd ways. There is a smaller than ideal airway, made even smaller as the tongue grows to its full size.  This will impact on children's growth, social and school performance and even on their health. Early Intervention is designed to help the jaw and face bones to grow and when the teeth come through, there will be enough space so traditional orthodontics may not be needed.

The most healthy bodies are symmetrical. While some asymmetries may look cute, they are often not helpful in growth and health.

Children have small airways and even small amounts of swelling will block them.

Mouth breathing

Mouth breathing means as the mouth is open, the tongue can't be pressing on the roof of the mouth. This pressure, well above that needed to mould soft bone, will help the palate and therefore the whole nasal passage to grow properly.  It has been shown that malocclusion   [incorrect bite] has many implications. One of these is poor school performance. There have been numerous studies showing that a bad bite is seen in almost all the children in Remedial Reading and Remedial Maths classes and in high Achievers, Bad Bites are almost non-existant.

Thumbsucking

Here, like mouth breathing  there is no tongue pressing on the roof of the mouth. This means the mouth will not flatten out and the roof is high and narrow. This means the inside of the nose is narrow. This means struggling for breath, much less oxygen gets into the blood and that means less oxygen to the brain.  In the brain hormones of growth and kidney control, along with dozens more, are made. Less Growth Hormone  means less growth and if the kidneys are not slowed down at night, often bedwetting is the result.  Maybe if your child or someone you know wets the bed long after they should have stopped, maybe it is a facial growth problem.

Poor Sleep

This is often associated with poor nasal breathing and struggling for air.  While they may not be snoring, these children are stressed and often wake tired, are restless, can't focus and are grumpy.  Because they appear to be hyper-active they are often misdiagnosed as ADHD and similar problems. All they need is a good lungful  and the body will then look after itself. 

The nose will filter, moisten and warm the air. Mouth breathing delivers  dry, cold and dusty air. This causes inflammed tonsils, throats and airways.  This places a great demand on young bodies. Early intervention Orthodontics/orthopedics will often reslove all these problems and set an otherwise compromised child off to a much better start in life. 

Extraction orthodontics

This is still practised and is usually un-needed method of creating room in a crowded mouth.  When good orthopedic techniques are used, even in elderly people, room and often more bone can be created.  The need for extraction is rare. I can't recall the last time we took a tooth out for orthodontic reasons. If your child has been recommended to have teeth removed to make space, particularly second or adult teeth, seek a second opinion.  

Adult Orthodontics

While adults do have bone that is more dense than children, it is still alive and will respond, especially to very gentle forces.  Looking at the photos, you will see the reduction in asymmetry. Most of these adult patients had daily headaches, sore jaws and pain in the neck and shoulders. The simple orthodontic treatments used have reduced or eliminated these twists and distortions and with that have gone the pains. Often this will also be helpful if you are contemplating cosmetic treatments. By getting the teeth and the roots spaced and more even, the cosmetic result is enhanced.

Adult's Orthodontics
	Posture. Note the ear sits in front of the shoulders… Forward Head Position.
Before	After
Note the asymmetry. Before; this was corrected the patient had daily headaches. After; shows the top arch is a semicircle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children's Orthodontics
Before	After