A beautiful smile is not simply white teeth without any cavities. The beauty of a smile depends on the manner of arrangement of the teeth in the upper and lower arches and the alignment of the upper and lower teeth with each other at rest, during smiling and chewing.
Often, the size of one’s jaws, the size of the teeth and the forward or backward position of the jaws is influenced by our genes. Additionally, other factors such as dental cavities, early loss of milk teeth, no orthodontic treatment after loss of primary or adult teeth, prolonged retention of habits such as thumb sucking or tongue thrusting, other developmental abnormalities, cancers or tumors, medically compromised patients and nutritional deficiencies also affect the eruption of teeth, the rate and manner of the jaw growth and, hence, teeth arrangement.
Misaligned jaws, teeth or both is known as Malocclusion. Malocclusion can play a crucial role in public acceptance and social interactions due to aesthetic reasons. In severe cases, if left untreated, it can cause difficulty in chewing, trouble in closing the mouth and a gamut of other problems.
As teeth form an indispensable part of one’s smile, it is logical that a malocclusion could have a negative influence on a person’s sense of worth and ultimately their quality of life. With the popularity of social media and camera phones, viewership by a global audience and the inability to withdraw these photographs, may be a contributing factor to an increasing number of people seeking alignment of their teeth.
We at Molonglo Dental Surgery encourage the primary caregivers/parents/ guardians to receive a dental consultation for their child, commencing at the age of two years. As far as misaligned teeth are concerned, this will help us in:
- Counting the number of teeth
- Making a note of the number of cavities in the teeth
- Monitoring the rate of jaw growth
- Examining the sequence of shedding and eruption of teeth
- Noting mild facial asymmetries, if any
- Identifying habits such as thumb sucking, mouth breathing, tongue thrusting and affects of retention of those habits
- Checking for Teeth erupting in abnormal positions
- Pointing out any abnormalities associated with the joints of jaws (for example pain on opening the mouth, inability in opening the mouth etc)
- Surveying for Abnormal bone growths, tumours or malignancies
Your friendly Canberra dentist at Molonglo Dental Surgery believes the use of the Splint Orthopaedic Myofunctional Appliance or SOMA in a patient ensures his/her primary modifications. Hence, holistic growth and extensive recovery of the patient begins with the use of SOMA or the Splint Orthopaedic Myofunctional Appliance.To know more about this appliance, kindly don’t hesitate to call us on 0262871222 to get an appointment.
According to a study published in the Australasian Orthodontic Journal, the most common patient complaints in Western Australia were those of ‘crowded teeth.”
Crowding of teeth is more common in the lower jaw than in the upper jaw.hence, patients decide to undergo orthodontic treatment for cosmetic reasons.
Your friendly Canberra dentist at Molonglo Dental Surgery, will perform a thorough examination before suggesting a treatment plan. For instance, the dentist will look for the following indications which may necessitate orthodontic treatment:
- Severity of the crowding of teeth
- Treatment with or without extraction
- Do lips close or remain open when the mouth is at rest
- Examination and questions of the patients’ parents (to comprehend hereditary factors that can cause crowding)
Depending on the aforementioned factors, our efficient team will at Molonglo Dental Surgery may suggest one or more of the following treatment options:
- Treatment until the 3 years
Treatment is seldom recommended during this period. However, your dentist needs to evaluate your child/ward’s teeth every six months to identify any developing misalignment.
Molonglo Dental Surgery is the first dental practice in Canberra to introduce the Dinosaur Chair.The brightly coloured Dinosaur-shaped Chair is designed to distract our little patients and make dentistry fun. To experience the wonders of the ever amusing Dino chair, please call us on 02 62871222 to fix an appointment.
- Treatment for 4-year-olds to 10-year-olds
Any discrepancy or misalignment in the jaws or teeth not corrected during this period may have detrimental consequences in the growth of the jaws. Treatment becomes more invasive as the child grows. The real goal of treatment in this is to minimize or eliminate orthodontic treatment needed in the permanent dentition.
However, the type and duration of treatment in this phase will depend on the severity of crowding. Such as:
- Slight crowding
- Moderate crowding
- Severe crowding
Prior to commencement of any orthodontic treatment, it is important to treat the teeth with fillings and protect the teeth that will most likely develop cavities in the future. We, at Molonglo Dental Surgery, recommend fillings for dental cavities and fissure sealants to protect teeth from developing cavities. To know more about these treatments, kindly call us on 0262871222 for a consultation.
Treatment for 10-year-olds to 12-year-olds
The goal of treatment in this age group is to correct the crowding using one/more/all of the following techniques:
Space supervision– Prevent further crowding.To check if the baby teeth haven’t fallen off in time.
Expansion appliances– These appliances expand the palate by applying gentle expansion forces
Extraoral headgear- These appliances have attachments inside and outside the mouth.
Functional appliances. These appliances will help correct abnormalities in facial growth, if any.
Selected extractions– removal of primary teeth may be needed to create space for aligning teeth.
Treatment in 12-year-olds to 16-year-olds
This phase would continue the treatment undertaken in the previous age group. Additional treatments/modifications may be added/discontinued as deemed appropriate by the treating practitioner.This phase focuses on the procedures that will ‘last a lifetime’. Retention of acquired alignments/corrections permanently is the goal of this phase.
‘Gaps or crooked teeth or crowding- if that’s your current state,
Then, let our efficient team at Molonglo Dental Surgery, set your smile straight!”
