Initial & Preventive Orthodontics
The goal of initial and preventive-interceptive orthodontics is to prevent and avoid, if possible, any future, more complex orthodontic and/or orthopedic treatments . A period of 4-6 months is usually enough for the first tangible results to come. These treatments are applied to children.
Among other things, initial and preventive orthodontics may alleviate the oral cavity of phenomena such as:
- tongue thrust, i.e. swallowing by thrusting the tongue forward. Although this is a habit appearing mostly in toddlers/children, sometimes it persists in older people as well, making daily oral functions difficult. Tongue thrust may appear due to dentoalveolar deformities such as a frontal openbite (when the teeth of the upper and lower jaw do not come in contact with each other when closing the mouth).
- crossbite, i.e. the abnormal condition in which the upper teeth, both anterior and posterior, are slightly behind when we close our mouth. If not corrected at an early age, crossbite can lead to chewing difficulties or even strain on the temporomandibular joint.
What we are primarily interested in is to ensure the greatest possible functionality in the speech and chewing of the child, without of course neglecting aesthetics.
In the orthodontics practice of Anastasia Pouliaki we apply a holistic preventive orthodontics treatment, consisting of myofunctional exercises of the mouth
that strengthen the muscles of the tongue and teach children the right way to swallow.If necessary, we proceed to additional treatment with specialized orthodontic appliances, removable or fixed, which lead the tongue to the correct position or widen the upper dental arch.
Initial & preventive orthodontics: advantages
The primary —and self-evident— advantage that initial and preventive orthodontics offers is, of course, prevention itself. By contacting a certified professional doctor as soon as we notice an orthodontic problem, we can get a reliable diagnosis and an effective treatment before the effects of the problem become irreversibly pronounced or obvious.
Especially in children, a correct initial diagnosis can relieve them of unnecessary tooth extractions in the future. What is more, the earlier the treatment begins, the greater the scope for action given to the orthodontist is, since the child’s craniofacial complex is still being developed. And of course, we should not overlook the indirect benefits that our little friends will have if their orthodontic problems are corrected early: their good self-image and their social self-confidence!
Negative habits correction
In addition, a fairly common phenomenon is the appearance of habits which in the long run may have negative effects on the smooth eruption of the teeth, the anatomy of the oral cavity and even the morphology and position of the jaws. This is because wrong forces are exerted on the teeth and the jaws, thus preventing them from growing and functioning properly.
These habits are especially common during childhood, but appear in some adults as well.
These habits include:
- sucking and biting objects such as pacifiers, baby bottles and pencils or the fingers of our hands.
- onychophagia, which is commonly seen in teenagers and is mostly due to stress.
- grinding of teeth, which occurs mainly unconsciously in sleep, but also in the rest of everyday life. It can be due to organic or psychological causes.
- biting and sucking on the cheeks.
- biting and sucking on the lower lip, which leads to or worsens the overjet of the upper teeth.
In our orthodontics practice we ease the (self) correction of harmful oral habits and ensure a proper general dental development through various techniques that constitute the so-called initial and preventive orthodontics.
The approach of our little friends takes place in a completely safe and friendly environment that will earn their trust and interest. The goal is to help them change their harmful habits not with pressure but with cooperation by fully respecting the social, developmental or psychological conditions they are experiencing.
In the case of adult patients, our approach, although different due to the completion of the growth of the oral cavity and differences in psychosynthesis, is equally effective.
