Orthodontics
Orthodontic is the discipline that involves the movement of mal-erupted or maloccluding teeth in order to give the patient a more comfortable bite. These teeth often poorly erupt due to the presence and retention of deciduous or baby teeth. If diagnosed early during the phase of adult tooth eruption, the baby teeth can interceptively be extracted. This allows the permanent tooth to erupt into the space vacated by the extracted deciduous tooth. This is called interceptive orthodontics because interceding therapy alters the course of permanent teeth eruption. Although it is not using an appliance to cause tooth movement, it creates a course of least resistance or a pathway for the erupting adult to move into a more physiological position.
Once an adult tooth has already mal-erupted, it is necessary to use appliances to actively put gentle pressure to move these teeth. This can be done with elastics, incline acrylic bite planes or metal wire fabrications.
- Movement of malpositioned teeth - can be accomplished by a variety of techniques. Passive movement can be accomplished with acrylic inclined planes, gingival wedge resections or crown extensions. A variety of active force appliances can also be used to facilitate movement of teeth into a comfortable and functional occlusion.
- Interceptive orthodontics - to prevent malocclusions involves extraction of deciduous teeth to remove interlock between those teeth and the opposing soft tissues. This allows the maximum genetic potential for growth and prevents persistent deciduous teeth from influencing occlusion. The ideal time for intervention is as soon as a potential malocclusion is noted often as early as eight or nine weeks based on deciduous dentition.
Thinking about Anesthesia Free Pet Dentistry?
Call (410) 828-1001 to make an appointment at any of our locations or click below to contact us.
