Malocclusion: When And Should It Be Treated?

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Bite treatment

An incorrect bite can be due to heredity, or it can form in childhood during the period of active growth of the skull bones. Both in the first and in the second case, bite treatment is effective if done on time. True, modern medical technologies are able to correct occlusion even when the formation of the jaws has already been completed, but in this case, much more funds and efforts will be required.

If the family does not have hereditarily transmitted traits associated with an incorrect bite, then it is formed, as a rule, as a result of diseases or under the influence of bad habits. So, untreated adenoids in children, persistent runny nose and lack of nasal breathing often lead to the formation of an open bite, and the habit of sucking a pacifier for a long time can affect the formation of the front teeth. The early loss of permanent teeth can also lead to jaw growth abnormalities. Treatment of bite in this case should begin as early as possible, with the elimination of the underlying disease or bad habits.

Why bite treatment at all? The fact is that the teeth, jaws, temporomandibular joint - what forms the bite, this is the area of increased stress in the body. The jaw is generally one of the bones, the load on which is most significant. Therefore, a malocclusion, in which such great force is constantly exerted on tissues that are not prepared for this, leads to serious disorders.

It must be remembered that the oral cavity is the initial section of the digestive and respiratory systems, therefore, problems in this area negatively affect the function of the two most important processes that ensure the vital activity of the body - digestion and respiration. In addition, an incorrect bite causes incorrect articulation, that is, the pronunciation of sounds. Speech is a fundamental function in human social life. Thus, bite treatment is important from both a medical and a socio-psychological point of view.

As already mentioned, it is most effective to correct defects at an age when the jaw bones are actively growing and forming. All bite pathologies have their own optimal age for elimination, which an orthodontist will help to establish. In order not to miss the time that is most suitable for the treatment of bite, it is necessary to appear to the orthodontist at the first signs that an incorrect bite is forming. Often a small correction in childhood is sufficient to avoid a serious problem in the future.

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