What is orthodontic money? 5 benefits of orthodontic treatment you should know

According to the treatment philosophy of modern orthodontics, doctors do not treat "misaligned teeth" but the entire system including teeth, bones, bite and oral muscle groups. Therefore, in the pre-orthodontic stage, the most important goal is to create a favorable environment for teeth to grow and move in the right position, instead of trying to straighten teeth from the beginning.

Jaw expander - Solution to expand the jaw during the growth phase

Jaw expansion is a device prescribed when the patient has a narrow jaw, lacks space for permanent teeth to grow, or has a crossbite due to the upper jaw bone not developing enough horizontally. Depending on each case, the doctor can use fixed jaw expanders such as Hyrax, Haas, Quad Helix or removable appliances.

Regarding biomechanics, in children, the two halves of the upper jaw are connected by the Midpalatal Suture. Before puberty, this joint line has not yet completely ossified, so it can slightly separate under the influence of expansion force. When the expansion space is created, new bone will form at this location, helping the jaw grow wider in a stable manner.

This is also the reason why the effectiveness of jaw expansion depends greatly on age. According to many studies in theAmerican Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO), jaw expansion in children before or during puberty has a significantly higher rate of successful palatal joint opening than in adults. After the joint line has completely ossified, expanding the jaw with conventional appliances almost only creates the phenomenon of tooth tilt, while to truly expand the bone base, it is often necessary to combine palatal expansion with screw support or surgery.

Thanks to expanding the jaw at the right time, in many cases it is possible to create more space for teeth to grow, improve crossbites and reduce the need for tooth extraction when entering the official braces stage.

Space maintaining appliances - Protect the "position" for permanent teeth

Losing baby teeth early is one of the common reasons why children need braces later in life. When a baby tooth is lost before the physiological time, the adjacent teeth will tend to tilt or drift into the space. In just a few months, the space available for permanent teeth can shrink significantly.

To prevent this phenomenon, the doctor will prescribe a space maintainer. This is an appliance with a relatively simple structure but has great significance in preventive orthodontics. Instead of having to create space again with braces or extract more teeth when the child grows up, the doctor only needs to maintain the correct space from the beginning, helping permanent teeth grow in the correct position according to physiology.

Many clinical studies have shown that using space maintainers as prescribed significantly reduces the risk of crowding secondary to early loss of primary teeth and limits complex orthodontic interventions later.

Functional appliances – Adjust jaw bone growth

While jaw expansion mainly acts horizontally, functional appliances aim to adjust the front and back growth of the jaw bone.

Appliances such as Twin Block, Herbst or Frankel are indicated for children in the growth phase who have protrusion due to underdeveloped lower jaw or certain types of Class II malocclusion. When wearing the appliance, the lower jaw is brought forward more than its normal resting position, thereby stimulating the adaptation process of the muscle and joint system and contributing to the growth orientation of the jawbone.

On the contrary, in children with underbite due to poorly developed upper jaw, the doctor can use Facemask combined with a jaw expander to pull the upper jaw forward. This method has been widely applied in early intervention orthodontics and has been proven by many studies to be effective if performed during the growth period.

It should be noted that functional appliances are only effective when the child still has the potential for bone development. After the growth process ends, the ability to adjust bones with appliances will be significantly reduced and in many cases it is necessary to combine orthognathic surgery to achieve optimal results.

Other supporting appliances in pre-orthodontics

In addition to the popular appliances mentioned above, orthodontists can also prescribe many other appliances depending on each specific condition such as TPA (Transpalatal Arch), Nance Holding Appliance, Lip Bumper or appliances to guide teeth growth.

Wearing appliances Although their operating mechanisms are different, these appliances all aim at the common goal of controlling tooth position, maintaining space, limiting unwanted movement or regulating the force acting from the lips and cheeks on the dental arch. It is the flexible combination of appliances that helps doctors individualize treatment plans for each patient instead of applying the same regimen.

What are the benefits of pre-orthodontics?

In many cases, pre-orthodontics does not immediately make the patient's teeth more straight. However, the benefits that this stage brings directly determine the outcome of the entire braces process.

First of all, pre-orthodontics helps create favorable conditions for permanent teeth to grow in the right direction, reduce the level of crowding and limit the risk of impacted teeth. When the jaw is well prepared, the doctor has more treatment options and can reduce the need for tooth extraction in appropriate cases. It should be noted that thisdoes not mean that pre-orthodontics will help avoid tooth extraction in all cases, because the indication for tooth extraction also depends on the level of crowding, jaw bone relationship, alveolar bone thickness and treatment goals.

In addition, early treatment of bite abnormalities also helps the tooth movement process take place within safer biological limits, thereby reducing the risk of gum recession, bone loss and tooth root loss. At the same time, when habits such as mouth breathing, tongue thrusting or lip biting are corrected before braces, the post-treatment results are also more stable and the risk of relapse is reduced.

For children, this is also an opportunity to take advantage of the "golden period" of jaw bone development. The changes that can be achieved during this stage are often difficult or impossible to achieve with conventional appliances once the patient is an adult.

How is the pre-orthodontic process performed?

A pre-orthodontic plan does not begin with the choice of an appliance but always begins with a diagnosis. The doctor will do a clinical examination, evaluate the bite, analyze facial proportions and order a tilted skull X-ray, panoramic film or CBCT scan when necessary to determine the cause of the deviation.

After having all the data, the doctor will analyze whether the abnormality comes from the teeth, jawbone or muscle function. From there, the pre-orthodontic plan is built according to each specific goal such as treating oral diseases, creating space, expanding the jaw, guiding teeth to grow or adjusting jaw bone growth.

When the goals of the pre-orthodontic stage have been completed and the biological conditions are satisfactory, the patient will be transferred to the official braces stage with braces or clear braces. This approach helps the entire treatment process take place more scientifically, limits complications and optimizes long-term results.

Conclusion

Pre-orthodontics is not an "extra" treatment step before braces but is the foundation that determines the success of the entire orthodontic plan. A beautiful braces case does not only depend on the type of braces, technology or treatment time, but first of all depends on whether the doctor properly assesses the cause and fully prepares biological conditions before applying orthodontic force.

Therefore, an early examination with an orthodontist is of great significance, especially for children in their growth period. Intervening at the right time not only makes the braces process simpler but also contributes to maximum preservation of real teeth, takes advantage of the natural development potential of the jawbone and brings stable results for many years after treatment ends.