Phase I, Early Orthodontic Treatment

Phase I or early orthodontic /orthopedic therapy is aimed at correcting a specific dental (orthodontic) or bone (orthopedic) problem affecting the normal dental and facial growth of your child during mixed or even late primary dentition.

Every child is born with a small and recessed lower jaw (aka the mandible). With the eruption of the anterior teeth, the mandible is limited to function within this boundary influencing the jaw joint (aka the TMJ) to slowly assimilate the shape of the anterior teeth lingual concavity.

In other words, under normal craniofacial complex growth, a shape correlation exists between the anterior teeth and the TMJ as they depend on each other during movement.

The eruption of teeth, the innate bone growth from the neighboring structures and the functional demands of the masticatory organ (chewing, talking, breathing, swallowing, grinding, etc.) create the right stimuli for the mandible to grow down and adapt forward.

The mandible itself has limited growth capacity and follows a secondary growth pattern, meaning that all the previously mentioned factors (e.g. eruption of teeth, normal bone growth and function of the masticatory organ) must be present to push the mandible down and create an unload condition first. Bone will be added to the condyle (tip of the mandible) and the mandible will grow down and forward following the interdigitation of teeth or the lack of it.

A child whose teeth are positioned in such a manner that limits the normal development of the TMJ will certainly experience not only orthodontic adaptations but also breathing, postural, vision, hearing and speech adaptations as well.

A very common problem in young patients is the presence of a dental crossbite. As inoffensive as it may look, a posterior crossbite may shift the dental midline and create not only a dental but also a craniofacial complex adaptation. If untreated, a dental asymmetry is perpetuated throughout the life of an individual affecting not only the growing TMJ but also the relationship between the neck bones, the head, body posture, breathing, vision, hearing and much much more.

Equally noteworthy is the presence of an anterior crossbite which may position the mandible forward ahead of its socket and perpetuate a facial configuration characterized by an under-bite with a mid-face deficiency, breathing, and postural alteration.

Because human craniofacial complex has the highest adaptation capacity during childhood, many orthodontic conditions affecting the craniofacial orthopedics can be successfully addressed or drastically lessen its severity. At E Line Orthodontics, we treat early by redirecting and creating a suitable environment for your child’s craniofacial complex to adapt. At times, in addition to early orthodontic therapy, we will recommend the evaluation and treatment of other professionals such as the ENT physician, physical therapy doctors, optometrist and more.

Phase I or early orthodontic/orthopedic therapy is aimed at correcting a specific dental (orthodontic) or bone(orthopedic) problem affecting the normal dental and facial growth of your child during mixed or even late primary dentition.