Orthopedodontics: The combination of orthopedic and orthodontic therapy
When I was a teenager I was told that I needed braces. Most of us that endured this experience can remember the painful wire change appointments as well as not being able to eat comfortably for several days. Also, I had my braces on for what seemed like FOREVER. I had orthodontic therapy. I needed orthopedic therapy due to a growth and development issue that I passed on to my daughter.
When I decided to become a dentist, I knew that there was a better way to help kids get the smiles that they deserve without the discomfort that I endured. I almost decided to become an orthodontist. I decided against it because I am the kind of girl who likes variety. I move around my furniture, change my hair and love being able to interact with all ages and kinds of patients, which is why I chose to be a general dentist and have a family oriented practice.
After years of sending my teenage patients to the orthodontist and seeing several results that I was not happy with, I realized that my daughter was getting to the age where she would need help with her smile. I didn’t want her to end up like myself and many of my patients with orthodontic relapse and needing braces again. When I started investigating, I learned that there is a different way of making a better, more stable result for orthodontic patients by guiding their growth. I have named this process ORTHOPEDODONTICS.
As parents, we know that if we wait until they are almost grown to start guiding their behavior, we are way too late. We guide our kids throughout their development through corrections along the way. Why should their dental and orthodontic development be any different? This is accomplished through ORTHOPEDIC movement of the jaws by aligning and enlarging them to accomodate the teeth. Early diagnosis of growth and development issues can dramatically improve the outcome of a child’s orthodontic and orthopedic development. We can improve airway, body posture, jaw development and make room for the permanent teeth to come in while they are as young as 6 years old. If we make room for the teeth to come in through the use of dental orthopedic appliance therapy, the teeth will come in straighter and the kids might not have to wear braces for as long. ORTHODONTICS moves primarily teeth. Kids who have their braces on for many years often end up with cavities due to their inability to brush and floss well. Removing permanent teeth to make room for the others often results in a flattened facial profile, a predisposition for obstructive sleep apnea and jaw joint problems (TMJD).
Do you remember Schoolhouse Rock? “The head bone is connected to the neck bone; the neck bone is connected to the back bone…”. Did you know that the teeth are connected to the jaw bone and the jaw bone is connected to the neck bone by over 200 muscles? If the teeth are not in the right position, your child can develop TMJD and neck problems as an adult. That was me. I was a chronic headache and TMJD sufferer due to my jaw joint position. I am finished with orthodontic therapy for the third (and final) time after 5 months of wearing a neuromuscular orthotic to help treat my advanced temporomandibular joint disorder. I feel better than I have in over 10 years because my jaw is finally in the right position.
I want better for my child and my patients than what I had as a child and as an adult pain patient.
Most people do not know this information. I was unaware of it until many years after dental school.
I realize that this information might be contrary to your traditional belief in orthodontics. Did you know that 70% of all orthodontic procedures are performed by general dentists like myself? I watch my patients grow and see them every six months throughout their lives. My patients who were children when they first became my patients are now bringing in their children for treatment. It makes me very proud to be trusted with generations of dental care. It also makes me grateful that I can use my experience as a patient of TMJD to make sure that I provide the very best care for my pediatric patients to prevent them from a lifetime of unnecessary discomfort as well as treat my adult pain patients from several states to improve their quality of life.
My favorite saying on the subject of dental training, and life in general, is: "If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail". I enjoy having MANY tools.
I am not an orthodontic specialist....and I am not interested in becoming one. I enjoy having the ability to choose a variety of training options for the treatment of my patients. I am a general dentist, a mom, a patient and a lifelong learner. I have hundreds of hours in additional training in the fields of orthodontics, temporomandibular disorder, sleep disordered breathing and oral sleep appliance therapy, growth and development, functional appliance therapy, oral myofunctional therapy, cranial dentistry,the ALF appliance, the DNA appliance, dentosensorimotor rehabilitation as well as extensive education in the chiropractic and physical therapy implications and treatment for my orthodontic and TMD patients.
Let’s help our kids grow in the right way. Early braces can make better faces! (and better brains & bodies!)