Correct Facial Bone Growth With Dentofacial Orthopedics in Michigan City
Orthodontic issues can be difficult to deal with. You may be surprised to hear that some of these issues have less to do with your teeth and more to do with the skeletal structure of your face. The Orthodontic Alliances team wants you to know that dentofacial orthopedics in Michigan City can help address issues with the bones in your face. Too much or too little bone structure has a dramatic impact on how your smile looks to those around you. Our treatment can offer you or your child these benefits:
we can shape a perfect smile
Read Transcript
we can shape a perfect smile
Dentofacial orthopedics is a topic that I'm truly passionate about as an orthodontist because as orthodontists, we can not only put your teeth into a better position, but we also have the ability and techniques to be able to influence the growth of the jaws. For example, if one of the jaws has outpaced the growth of the opposing jaw, which basically means you have an excessively weak or strong chin, we have different appliances that can help the jaw that's lagging behind to catch up in growth with the opposing jaw. If your upper jaw is too narrow relative to the lower jaw, causing you to bite into a crossbite or to have to shift your jaw to the side to be able to bite down fully, we also have the ability to widen your upper jaw so your teeth can bite together in harmony every time you chew down.
It's always better to attempt to intercept these problems at a younger age, and that's exactly why we always recommend patients come in for their initial consult at about the age of 7. If you think your child has a problem with jaw growth or any other sort of dental issue or orthodontic issue, please bring them in for a free orthodontic consultation, and we'll see if dentofacial orthopedics or traditional braces is right for them.
- A better-looking smile
- Improved facial appearance
- Prevention of surgery (in children)
- Opening up space for developing teeth to come in properly
Call us today to schedule an appointment for you or your child: 219-809-6584. Get started on a healthier, more attractive smile now.
Understand How Dentofacial Treatment Can Help
Dentofacial orthopedics is an orthodontic method that helps facial bone structure develop normally. The treatments we use can also help correct abnormalities in the structure of your face to give you an attractive and happy smile.
Like many people, you may suffer from too much or too little bone growth in your face. This will throw off your bite and may cause issues with the alignment of your teeth. With dentofacial orthopedic treatment, it is possible to achieve major bone corrections that will fix your bite. To make these corrections, your orthodontist may recommend a functional orthodontic appliance.
If treatment is started during childhood, we can often accomplish the changes without surgery. Dr. Randy Schmidt and Dr. Evan Schmidt recommend getting your child into our office by age 7 to begin dentofacial evaluation and treatment. This will help maximize the chances of correcting the issue without needing a more invasive procedure.
Dentofacial Therapy May Be Used With Other Treatments
As an adult, your facial bones have already formed and hardened. This lessens the chance that your problem can be corrected without surgery. Dentofacial orthopedic therapy may still work on its own, but it is often used with surgery to correct the abnormal bone growth.
Orthodontic treatments like braces can be used with dentofacial treatment to preserve any correction that is achieved. The orthodontic option will also help guide developing teeth into proper alignment, as the previous structure of the facial bones may have set those teeth on track to come in crooked or misaligned.
Starting Michigan City dentofacial orthopedics as early as possible is critical in achieving the change you want to see in your smile or your child’s smile. Call us today to schedule your consultation: 219-809-6584.
