Pre-orthodontics (or know as Early Orthodontic Treatment) can begin as early as 4-years of age.

The goal of early treatment is to correct a developing malocclusion, which is the imperfect positioning of the teeth when the jaws are closed.

Malocclusion could be preventative by addressing the underlying problem or correct an issue to do with jaw and teeth formation.   Early treatment helps to make room for permanent teeth to come in properly, lessening the chance of extractions in the future and extensive orthodontic work.

Orthodontic treatment is commonly commenced once all deciduous (baby) teeth are lost. As age increases, the jaw bones will harden and stop growing which may necessitate more time to correct a malocclusion. This may need a tooth extraction and/or oral surgery to achieve desired results depending on the amount of malocclusion present.

Receiving pre-orthodontic treatment as a child can help prevent/minimise the need for orthodontics at a later stage. It may also prevent/minimise the need for permanent teeth extractions or oral surgery thereby reducing the complexity of the treatment.

Here are some factors that can lead to malocclusion:

• Habits like digit sucking and use of pacifiers
• Mouth breathing
• Abnormal swallowing
• Trauma
• Dentoalveolar disproportion (discrepancy between tooth and jaw size)
• Local tooth displacement
• Missing teeth (congenital, traumatic)
• Supernumerary teeth (extra teeth)
• Eruption angle of teeth
• Impacted teeth
• Retained deciduous (baby) teeth
• Space loss due to premature loss of deciduous (baby) teeth, delayed eruption of permanent teeth.

A few simple things to look out for which may point towards a developing malocclusion

• Crowding
• Increased overbite (vertical overlap of teeth)
• Increased overjet (horizontal overlap of teeth)
• Open bite (teeth unable to overlap or occlude)
• Crossbite (lower teeth sitting over upper teeth
• Excessive flaring of teeth
• Speech impediment
• Habits like digit sucking

If you have any concerns regarding Pre-Orthodontic formation or issues that need correcting, contact us at KIDS Mackay. Alternatively, complete the form below, and one of our friendly team members will contact you.