In some cases the correct approach in treating the baby teeth, may eliminate the need for Orthodontic treatment in the future.
It is important to emphasize, that most Orthodontic situations cannot be entirely prevented, yet indeed, many can be made simpler and easier to treat.
Treating baby teeth
Even though baby teeth fall out, they do play a very important role in maintaining the arch length, so permanent teeth would have space to erupt into. When baby teeth have large caries that are not treated, the arch length could start shortening. This may be exacerbated if a baby tooth needs to be extracted. Once the length of the arch shortens, an orthodontic problem arises. The permanent teeth might lack room to erupt, which in turn could cause a tooth to move out of its place and erupt in an unfavorable position, occasionally even resulting in a situation where a tooth is impacted in the jaw. Therefore, a child who otherwise would have had a perfectly normal occlusion, may need a serious Orthodontic intervention as a result of baby teeth that were under-treated. It might also lead to a situation where permanent teeth must be extracted along with the orthodontic treatment.
To avoid this, firstly make sure your children are performing the basic procedures to look after their teeth. Secondly, a dentist should be visited on a regular basis so cavities can be detected and treated at an early stage, before a major part of the tooth has been destroyed. Thirdly, if a baby tooth needs to be extracted, consulting an orthodontist would be recommend in order to consider the need for a space maintainer. This device would preserve the space until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. Sometimes, a delay of a couple of weeks in inserting the space maintainer might already lead to some space loss.
Pacifier (Dummy) vs. thumb sucking
Both having a dummy and sucking a thumb can cause similar orthodontic complications, however, the habit of sucking a thumb usually lasts longer than using a dummy.
From an Orthodontic perspective a dummy is more advantageous as it is possible to minimize the amount of hours a day it is being used. Secondly, a dummy can get disposed of at a certain stage, while we certainly hope the thumb will stay connected for life. Thirdly, when sucking a dummy, less force is put on the surrounding bone. When a thumb is being sucked the hand usually rests on the lower jaw and the thumb pushes the upper jaw out, these forces can increase the severity of the malocclusion (incorrect bite).
It is best recommended that by the age of four one should try to eliminate these habits. After age 4, the dental (teeth) malocclusion can start transforming into a skeletal (jaw) malocclusion which is more complicated to treat.
With the aid of certain appliances the Orthodontist can help break these habits.
Breathing problems
If a child suffers from breathing problems through the nose it can impede on the development of the upper arch and cause skeletal malocclusion which may be quite complex to treat. This can be caused by enlarged adenoids, polyps etc., and an Ear Nose and Throat specialist should be consulted before the condition has a major impact on the occlusion. Dr Tepper-Adler often prescribes an expansion appliance for an underdeveloped upper jaw, which can improve the breathing through the nose.
Anomalies in the development of the teeth
Detecting dental anomalies at a younger age can help eliminate complications. Among these anomalies can be missing teeth, extra teeth or impacted teeth. A simple solution at an earlier stage such as extracting baby teeth or extracting extra teeth can minimize complications and in some cases even eliminate them.
Spacing between baby teeth
Spaces between the baby teeth are actually favorable. These spaces allow for the eruption of the permanent teeth, which are wider.
In fact, when the baby teeth do not have sufficient spacing, crowding in the arch is very likely to develop, since permanent teeth lack space to erupt .
In situations like this, Dr Tepper-Adler often recommends putting a space maintainer, which prevents back teeth from moving forward and therefore helps relieve crowding. Alternatively, some baby teeth may be extracted enabling a more favorable environment for the eruption of the permanent teeth.
Asymmetry in the lower jaw
In some instances, if the upper jaw is narrow it causes the lower jaw to slide sideways when closing the teeth together. Many times this is quite noticeable and parents point out that when their child talks the lower jaw moves sideways. This can be treated at an early stage by expanding the upper arch to fit the lower arch in a symmetrical manner. Such early treatment is crucial in eliminating the transformation of this malocclusion from a simple functional shift to a complex skeletal asymmetry.
Skeletal jaw discrepancies
Some children suffer from severe skeletal discrepancies between the upper and lower jaw. This can be a lower jaw that is too far forward or too far back. When these discrepancies are apparent Dr Tepper-Adler often recommends a skeletal intervention at an early stage. This intervention can reduce the severity of the malocclusion and may eliminate the need for jaw surgery or extractions in the future.