Early orthodontics Treatments for children: Expansion or Interceptive Extraction
On our Early orthodontics page we have discussed various types of treatments that can help your child if his jaw is still growing.
Types of early orthodontic treatments are:
- Expansion
- Thumb sucking habit cessation
- Interceptive extractions
- Growth modification (Functional/ myofunctional braces)
In this blog post, Dr. Amina will talk about Expansion and Interceptive extractions
1. Expansion
This treatment aims to widen the upper and lower jaw. Generally, expansion is more stable in the upper jaw compared to the lower jaw. This can be done with removable braces of fixed braces. Often there is a spring or screw/ key mechanism that is used to widen the upper or lower jaw
When is it used?
- Correction of anterior or posterior crossbites – this prevents damage to the teeth and stops the problem becoming established in the adult dentition./li>
- Making space for teeth in a crowded mouth – if the jaw is small and narrow, expansion could be used to create space to align the teeth./li>
- Correcting a narrow smile – In patients with a narrow upper jaw, expansion can be used to broaden the smile.
One of the options for expansion is Invisalign® First. The system is similar to Invisalign Teens, however, it is specifically made to be suitable for younger children:
- SmartTrack plastic material offers comfortable wear – which means no discomfort for your child from rubbing brackets or poking wires.
- The brackets are removable – which helps to maintain easy hygiene. Making it easier for growing children to brush and floss.
2. Interceptive extractions:
Understandably the idea of your child having an extraction will always worry a parent. However, an orthodontist will sometimes recommend the extractions of “baby teeth” or “adult teeth” to help the underlying adult teeth erupt into the correct position.
For instance, the most common adult to tooth become “stuck”/ “impacted” is the permanent upper canine. Left untreated this can cause damage to the adjacent teeth or move into a position where it cannot be aligned. By simply extracting the “baby canine tooth” the permanent canine tooth is almost twice as likely to erupt into the correct position.
Your orthodontist will always take an x-ray and carry out a thorough assessment before recommending this treatment
Read more about Early orthodontic treatments in the next Blog post