DENTOFACIAL ORTHODONTICS

Dentofacial orthodontics is the field of dentistry that focuses on the development, prevention, and correction of irregularities of the teeth and jaws. As these problems can be seen from infancy and can affect your quality of sleep (which is so important in developing children), Dr Bachour strongly recommends seeing children from birth in order to identify any potential problems and whether any interceptive treatment would be of benefit.

Any orthodontic problem may be classified as a malocclusion. The following problems may be helped or minimised with proper dentofacial orthodontic treatment: misaligned, crooked or crowed teeth, missing teeth, extra teeth, a deep bite, temporomandibular joint pain, snoring and even obstructive sleep apnoea in some patients.

Any incorrect development in the jaws can have significant health consequences including sleep apnoea, so the short answer is the ideal time to treat is as soon as the problem is picked up. Dr Bachour has began treating his own children as young as 1 week of age. Treatment does not always mean braces! Children with sleep related breathing disorders are shown to have smaller brains, are less able to concentrate at school, amongst many other consequences which is why the sooner any issues are identified, the better.

The alignments of teeth are often genetically determined. The child inherits the tooth size from one parent and the jaw size from the other parent. This may cause a discrepancy in the jaw and tooth size and lead to spacing or crowding of teeth. Orthodontic problems can also be caused by habits that apply forces on the developing dentition such as thumb sucking and finger sucking. Early loss of baby teeth can cause drifting of the adjacent teeth and prevent the permanent teeth to take the normal path of eruption and causing crowding and collapsed jaws.

We can help develop the jaw, correct tooth positions and even prevent future tooth extractions if treatment is started at an early age. There are links between snoring/sleep apnoea and underdeveloped jaws. It is quite well known how snoring/sleep apnoea can negatively effect children’s growth and development. By attending to this as early as possible will help set the path for healthy development.

There are several ways to correct it, such as resin veneers, porcelain veneers or using orthodontic methods such as Invisalign. Contact us to learn more about the procedure that’s best for you.