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Picture someone with braces. Did you imagine a teenager with rows of colorful brackets? While it’s true that most orthodontic patients are teenagers, orthodontists also work with adults, as well as providing interceptive orthodontic treatment for younger children.

Interceptive orthodontics can reduce the need for jaw surgery or tooth extraction, it can correct certain problems as they appear (before they can get worse), shorten the length of later orthodontic treatment, encourage better facial development, and pave the way for a better final result.

We Head Off Problems Early With Interceptive Orthodontics
The conventional wisdom is that orthodontic treatment can’t start until all the adult teeth have emerged, but certain problems with alignment, bite, and facial development can appear long before the full set of adult teeth. An orthodontist can help a child’s jawbones grow properly so that there will be enough room for all the adult teeth and a better structure for a healthy bite. When we correct malocclusions (bad bites) as they appear, it makes future treatment faster, easier, and sometimes unnecessary!

What Causes a Malocclusion?
Harmful habits like thumb sucking, nail-biting, tongue thrusting, and mouth breathing can all contribute to a bad bite by leading to a narrow upper arch, an underdeveloped lower jaw, an open bite, a deep bite, or dental crowding. These can all make it more difficult to speak clearly or chew and swallow effectively. Genetics is also a factor in certain cases. The main goal of early orthodontic intervention is to repair the damage caused by these habits and stop the habits themselves so the adult teeth can grow in how they should.

How can bad habits affect oral health? Lots of ways:

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What Are Typical Interceptive Orthodontic Treatments?
The biggest difference between phase 1 and phase 2 orthodontics is that phase 1 treatments don’t involve a full set of braces. That can wait until later — if they’re still needed by then. Common treatments in interceptive orthodontics (phase 1):

Eliminating a crossbite with upper jaw expansion
Expansion to make more room for adult teeth
Early extraction of specific baby teeth to help the adult teeth come in
Holding space open for permanent teeth after the early loss of a baby tooth
Reducing the protrusion of upper teeth to protect them from trauma

What Makes a Child a Good Candidate for Interceptive Orthodontics?
Early orthodontic intervention won’t correct every type of orthodontic issue, so the best way to find out if it would benefit your child is to bring them in for a consultation around age 7, particularly if you’ve noticed any obvious problems with their bite or if they have one of the harmful oral health habits we mentioned. Until then (and always), look out for their oral health by encouraging good brushing and flossing!

Helping our patients achieve healthy smiles for life is always our top priority!

For more information about orthodontic services, or to speak with one of our board-certified specialists contact us online or call 302-678-3000.

#1 – ALL PLASTIC ALIGNER BRANDS ARE THE SAME

Although similar in appearance, there are major differences in design and overall function. Professionally fabricated Invisalign aligners fit into place on the teeth via attachments. These tooth attachments are small anchors directly affixed to the teeth by your dentist or orthodontist. Tooth attachments are an important part of Invisalign treatment because they secure aligners into place and aid in tooth movement. Without attachments unpredictable movement may occur causing harm. The combination of aligners and attachments allows for the best result not only in appearance, but with overall health of your teeth.

#2 – THEY’RE GOOD ENOUGH FOR “SIMPLE” CASES

Although some orthodontic cases are easier than others, there is nothing ever “simple” about moving teeth. Moving teeth can cause the surrounding teeth to move as well as the jaw and affect how the bite fits together. Unsupervised aligner wear can negatively affect the bite and result in long term discomfort which is why you should be closely monitored by your orthodontist or dentist to ensure the health of your teeth and gums throughout your treatment.

A board-certified orthodontist is focused on moving teeth in harmony with each other to get an overall result that is pleasing to the eye, but also acceptable to the bite. This requires close and detailed monitoring to ensure the treatment plan is safe and effective throughout the course of treatment.

#3– IT’S OVERSEEN BY A VIRTUAL DENTIST

Virtual consultations are wonderful in certain situations, however, without a direct physical exam of your teeth by a licensed professional, patients may not be aware of any underlying conditions that can impact your overall health. Tooth decay, abscessed teeth or bone and gum infections, which are diagnosed with xrays and in person exams, can worsen if left untreated. Be aware that these conditions may occur without symptoms initially so seeing your dentist or orthodontist prior to starting aligner wear and throughout treatment is very important to ensure your safety.

#4 – IT’S HASSLE FREE AND GUARENTEED

The convenience of mail order and guarantees sounds appealing because who doesn’t want things to be easier in their busy lives? After considering the aligner company you choose, that convenience may turn into a hassle due to the chain of commands throughout the process.

Divisions of patient care such as a shipping department, mailing service, virtual care providers and outsourced customer service representatives could lead to poor communication and service inconsistency when issues arise. It’s not uncommon for patients to receive the wrong aligners or experience long delivery delays, only to have their teeth shift out of alignment while waiting for their product to arrive in the mail.

Dr. Chung Kau, chairman and professor of orthodontics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said moving teeth without in-person supervision can lead to permanent hard. Problems with a person’s bite aren’t just cosmetic. “If you can't get a proper bite, that affects the entire function of your jaw,” Kau said. “You could get migraines, jaw joint problems, disintegration of your joints.”

-“‘Things Didn't Feel Right’: Smiledirectclub's

Dental Aligners Cause Problems.” NBCNews.com, Feb. 13, 2020 NBCUniversal News Group

What does a career in dentistry look like? Being a dentist is an incredibly rewarding career, and beyond helping our patients maintain lifelong healthy smiles, we hope our team inspires at least a few budding dentists out there!

Private Practice Dentists Aren’t the Whole Story

The dental career everyone is most familiar with is the private practice dentist, meaning an individual dentist or a partnership working with local patients in their own practice. Not everyone who graduates from a four-year dental program goes in this direction.

Other Types of Dentists

Academic dentists add a teaching role and help usher in the next generation of dentists. Research dentists get to be on the cutting edge of new advancements in treatments and technology. Some dentists go international and work with organizations like the WHO, UNESCO, and FAO. Finally, there are dentists who work alongside physicians in hospitals.

Dental Specialties

About 20% of dentists undergo additional years of training in one of the nine dental specialties: Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics.

The Team Is More Than the Dentist

Aside from the dentists themselves, other essential roles in the field of dentistry are hygienists, assistants, and lab technicians. Hygienists and assistants interact closely with patients to ensure a high level of care, while dental lab technicians work behind the scenes designing the dentures, crowns, and appliances used by dentists.

And of course we wouldn’t get far without our office staff!

Interested in more ortho-related careers? Check out Dr. Ahl's career fair video below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yy6PLa63zA

Anyone out of their teens might think they missed their chance for straight teeth, but that’s not true! Modern orthodontic treatment is for adults too. While it’s true that our teeth can be guided into place more easily when we are younger, they will still respond to orthodontic appliances. And whether or not we had braces as teens, our teeth can still shift over time if retainers are not worn as instructed.

Mesial Drift

In a process called mesial drift, our teeth slowly move towards the front of our mouths as we age. Other factors, including enamel loss, teeth grinding, and tooth loss, can move our teeth out of alignment too. The result is an increasingly crooked, overcrowded smile that is harder to keep healthy.

How Daily Habits Shift Teeth

Some of the things we do every day without even thinking about it can contribute to our teeth shifting over time. Stomach sleeping and resting our heads on our hands when sitting can both be culprits of dental shifting, but good posture and side or back sleeping will minimize this effect.

Healthy Teeth Stay Put Better!

Good oral hygiene is also important for keeping our teeth where they should be, because it helps reduce enamel loss over time. So keep up with that daily flossing and twice daily brushing, and don’t forget about regular dental appointments!

Adults Make Better Ortho Patients!

One advantage adult orthodontic patients have over teenagers is that they typically have the self-discipline to carefully follow the orthodontist’s instructions, ensuring better, timelier results!