Start Early, Get It Right
If a child's teeth and jaws are not developing correctly, facial development is also most often incorrect. The influence of health problems like allergies, asthma, poor posture and nutrition all have an effect on facial and dental development. The way a child swallows determines if the teeth will be correctly aligned or crowded.
These problems should be evaluated and treated while the child is still growing, well before the usual age when children have braces. Orthodontic treatment with extraction of permanent teeth can be avoided by early action.
Myofunctional Research Co (MRC) has developed appliances to treat the causes of orthodontic problems in the growing child that will improve dental alignment and facial appearance as well as, posture and health. This has been combined with newer orthodontic techniques and often does not require the use of full 'braces'. It is important to start early.
Looking at The Cause of Orthdontic Problems
Many research publications in Orthodontic journals, both current and historical, have shown that the development of the size and shape of the jaws is almost entirely influenced by how a child breathes, swallows and positions the tongue and lower jaw.
Incorrect habits such as mouth breathing, thumb sucking, incorrect swallowing and poor posture are the major contributing factors of orthodontic problems. These habits should be corrected as soon as they are evident.
Without correction of these habits as early as possible, the growth of the face and the alignment of the teeth will not be correct. In addition, any orthodontic treatment with or without braces will NOT be permanent.
Parents and children do not like extraction of teeth. It does not improve the outcome of treatment and often makes the problem worse. There is little justification for extracting permanent teeth for orthodontic purposes.
The best time to gain space and develop the jaws is when the child is growing between ages 6 and 10 or even earlier.
By correction of these myofunctional habits, not only will teeth become and stay correctly aligned, facial development will be improved and there is less need for complex orthodontics. This is the philosophy behind MYOFUNCTIONAL ORTHODONTICS.
