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Did parents know that a baby born with a normal jaw bone can still have overbite, underbite due to bad childhood habits such as tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, etc? If unfortunately, the baby will encounter an overbite or underbite, performing early orthodontic intervention is necessary to help children overcome self-consciousness about their smile and protect their overall health.
With the miraculous tooth movements of orthodontic techniques, the doctor, with a treatment plan combined with orthodontic instruments, will help realign the jawbone and correct overbite, underbite, and misaligned teeth in children, and at the same time, limit and cure bad habits in children.
4 special orthodontic instruments are used in the age of growth orthodontics in children from 6 to 12 years old:
1. EF – Functional Orthopedic Appliance
- EF are functional orthopedic appliances (Trainer) especially suitable for the pre-orthodontic intervention treatment stage and early treatment of tooth and jaw deviations: midline deviations, crowded teeth, overbite, open bite, deep bite, maxillary alveolar protrusion in young children before fixed orthodontic treatment.
- EF is a teeth straightening tool at an early stage and opening the temporomandibular joint.
- EF helps young patients eliminate bad habits such as prolonged bottle-feeding, tongue thrusting, and pacifier sucking.
- When treated with this device, the child will need to wear it for a minimum of 2 hours during the day and will need to wear it all night while sleeping.
View more: Understanding a receding chin: signs, causes, and effective solutions
2. Headgear – An appliance to correct the baby’s jawbone
- The minimum time required to wear Headgear is 10 – 12 hours per day. Wearing Headgear regularly for 12 – 18 months will bring high effectiveness and shorten treatment time.
- HEADGEAR is an instrument that helps adjust and control the growth of the upper jaw bone, while stimulating the growth of the lower jaw bone, helping the baby’s jaw bone develop harmoniously, from there, the teeth will be corrected alignment of the bite.
- In case the baby has a bone protrusion condition, HEADGEAR will correct the development deviation of the upper jaw bone with the lower jaw bone in the front and back direction, reducing the level of the baby’s bone protrusion.
3. Facemask – An appliance that corrects the baby’s underbite
- Is a facial appliance, used for orthopedic support in cases of underbite teeth, bringing a strong change for children with underdeveloped upper jaw bones in the front and back direction or overgrowth of the lower jaw bone.
- The Facemask instrument is designed to apply traction against the forehead and chin to pull the upper jawbone forward while controlling the growth of the lower jawbone
- Facemask needs to be worn at least 8-12 hours/day in the evening and at night. Even though wearing the tool feels uncomfortable, if choosing between surgery later and early treatment in the golden period of orthodontics for your child, the doctor still recommends early orthodontic treatment with many benefits science.
View more: What Is a Crossbite? Features, Causes, and Treatment Methods
4. Quad–Helix – An appliance that expands the jaw, creating space
This is an instrument that supports teeth straightening by expanding the upper jaw for children from 9 years old with the following conditions: Uneven jaw development, narrow jaw, crowding, misalignment, overbite, and underbite due to teeth.
Using QuadHelix also helps to create space to keep permanent teeth growing or to adjust teeth that are crowded or misaligned, and adjust the jaw for balanced development.
From 6 to 12 years old is the golden time recommended by the American Orthodontic Association (AAO) that parents should take their children to the dentist to check the condition of their teeth and jawbone. If the child has problems with overbite, underbite, misalignment, or permanent lack of teething space, this is the best opportunity for timely orthodontic interventions while the jawbone is still developing. If this stage is missed, the treatment will have to intervene with more complex procedures.
Depending on the condition of the child’s teeth, after being examined by the doctor, taking x-rays, and researching and evaluating the tooth problem, the doctor will have a treatment plan combined with the appropriate type of instruments to correct the deviations of the child’s jawbone, help the development and growth of the jawbone return to normal.
Elite Dental always accompanies Parents on the journey to protect and care for children’s healthy and beautiful smiles. Parents should take their child for an orthodontic examination as soon as the child is 6-7 years old and start the child’s braces journey to bring optimal face and teeth results. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Elite for further advice. Take care of your teeth from an early age with Elite, giving wings to your child’s future.
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