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What Is Interceptive Orthodontics And What Is It For?

Interceptive orthodontics is the type of orthodontics will help the correct growth and development of the maxillary bones in order to avoid future mal-positions or alterations. This is usually placed between 7 and 11 years of age when the dentition is mixed but the first upper molars have already erupted. At this age the maxillary bones are growing and moldable. Remember that the first visit with an orthodontist should take place over six years of age.

Interceptive orthodontics is intended primarily for the maxillary bones to have a correct position and an adequate size. Likewise, other objectives of this treatment are:

  • Balance the masticatory forces.
  • Improve the gold-facial aesthetic of the child.
  • Improve the functionality of the TMJ or the temporo-mandibular joint and also avoid pathologies in it.
  • Protect dental parts from abnormal and premature wear.
  • Avoid gingival and periodontal problems.
  • Interceptive orthodontics can prevent and prevent, in an adult phase, orthognathic surgery.
What Is Interceptive Orthodontics And What Is It For

What are the causes that can cause a dental malocclusion?

The main reasons why a child may require an interceptive orthodontic treatment may be skeletal, hereditary or due to bad habits in early childhood.

Skeletal reasons

Among these reasons would be an abnormal growth of the bones that form the jaws and palate. These anomalies can cause the child to have a narrow or ogival palate and a cross bite (which we will see later).

Hereditary or genetic factor

Malflusions in general have a marked genetic character, so if the parents or one of them has a class III bad occlusion, it is possible that your child will also be present. This factor may cause the interceptive orthodontic treatment and subsequent corrective orthodontic treatment to be longer than in the other cases.

Bad habits in the early childhood phase

These bad habits can be:

  • Digital sucking or sucking your finger.
  • Prolonged use of the pacifier.
  • Mouth breathing
  • An atypical swallowing or lingual or tongue-wrong swallowing.

Bad habits should be corrected as soon as possible because they can cause:

  • An ogival or narrow palate.
  • The upper jaw is more advanced than normal with respect to a jaw positioned further back (a class II).
  • The previous open bite.
  • A posterior open bite.
  • And a cross bite.

What are the interceptive orthodontic treatments?

Interceptive orthodontics can be divided or classified according to the anomalies or bad occlusions that are intended to be corrected. So we have:

To correct a Class II malocclusion

To correct this type of malocclusion we have the different treatments:

  • Bionator This orthodontic apparatus stimulates the mandibular growth of the child.
  • Herbst This type of device is used when the growth phase of the child is about to end and is responsible for reducing the discrepancy between the jaw and the upper jaw.
  • The extra-oral anchor. This device has the function of slowing the growth or development of the upper jaw.

To correct a Class III malocclusion

Given this type of bad occlusions we can choose between:

  • A chin guard this device is placed in the jaw area and has the function of slowing down and controlling its growth.
  • A facial mask this device has the function of stimulating the development or growth of the maxilla and is combined with the use of a circuit breaker.

To correct the cross bite

To treat this type of bad occlusion we have:

  • A Mc Namara type circuit breaker. This device is placed on the palate and its purpose is to open this when the palate is narrow.
  • Two band circuit breaker. Like the previous one, this device is placed in the upper jaw, on the palate and has a central screw.

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