Bite correction in children: types of correction, main stages and costs
The bite is the mutual positioning of the dental units when the teeth are fully clenched. The main tasks are biting and chewing food for its complete digestion.
The correct position of the teeth is the main factor that ensures the normal mechanical processing of food and, as a result, the absorption of all the necessary vitamins and microelements into the body. This in turn ensures the normal development of the child. That's why it's so important to diagnose occlusal disorders in children and correct them using special systems.
The main stages of development of the dento-mandibular system in children and adolescents
The development of teeth and jaws in children takes place in several stages.
- Infancy - from birth to six months of age. The structure of the dentoalveolar department during this period is considered optimal for breastfeeding.
- 2.Milk bite - from six months to six years of age. The milk teeth erupt.
- Removable bite - from six to twelve years of age. At this age, all milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth.
- Permanent bite - the final formation of the jaw and dentition is completed by about fifteen years of age.
It is important to note that the cost of treatment of malocclusion in children and adolescents is much lower than the cost of treatment of malocclusion in adults. This is due to the fact that at the stage of jaw and teeth formation, it is easier and simpler to remove occlusal disorders than in an adult patient. The cost of treatment also depends on the number of manipulations required and the duration of the procedure itself.
Bite disorders in children and adults: main causes
There are a number of factors that can influence the occurrence of dentoalveolar system defects.
- Genetic predisposition. If one or both of the child's parents have crooked dentition, the child is likely to have occlusion problems.
- Inadequate nutrition of the mother during pregnancy. A balanced diet for the pregnant woman is the key to the normal development of the child.
- Late introduction of solid vegetables into the child's diet.
- The habit of sucking on a finger or a pacifier.
- Gum disease. For example, periodontal disease is most commonly associated with poor oral hygiene and an unbalanced diet.
- Premature loss of milk teeth. When the milk teeth have not yet fallen out and the permanent tooth is already growing and in the wrong position.
- The eruption of large dentition in a small jaw (most often referring to the upper dentition).
Each of the above-mentioned aspects is responsible, to a greater or lesser extent, for the occurrence of defects in the closure of the jaw in a child.
Types of bite disorders and cost of treatment
In general, the price of the correction of the bite is formed on the basis of the severity and the degree of distortion of the dentition. Specialists distinguish five main types of malocclusion in children and adults:
- deep - the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth by more than half;
- open - the upper incisors are not in contact with the lower incisors when fully clenched;
- crossed - the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth;
- distal - the lower row overlaps the upper row, with the lower jaw extended in relation to the upper jaw;
- mesial - the upper jaw is extended in relation to the lower jaw.
There is also a traumatic type, which is the final stage in the development of a deep bite. In this situation, the upper dentition completely overlaps the lower dentition, resulting in constant traumatisation of the lower gingival margin and the alveolar process. This leads to the early loss of apparently healthy teeth due to excessive stress and resorption of bone tissue and damage to the ligaments that hold the tooth in the cavity.
Should I correct my bite or leave it as it is?
Many parents wonder if it is worth spending time and money on correcting their child's bite. After all, it is no secret that correcting a child's bite with braces is quite expensive and takes at least six months.
It should be said right away that disorders with the dentition are not only a cosmetic problem, because of which, as a rule, the self-esteem of the child suffers, but also a therapeutic one. For this reason, it is the responsibility of parents and orthodontists to detect and correct malocclusions in time. If the position of the teeth is not corrected, the young patient will face a number of problems in the future:
- Enamel wear and tooth sensitivity to external stimuli;
- Poor chewing and, as a result, incomplete digestion of food;
- Temporomandibular joint and gastrointestinal problems;
- Loosening of dental units due to uneven distribution of load on a tooth or group of teeth;
- Impossibility of quality dentures in adulthood;
- Impossibility of quality caries treatment, especially in cases of severe crowding;
- Higher costs of orthodontic treatment for adults.
When the above factors are taken into account, the question «to treat or not to treat occlusal disorders» falls away. In addition, it is much easier to correct malocclusions in children because the dentition is still forming and the dental units are easier to move. In addition, the repair capacity of the child's organism is much higher, i.e. the retention period will be shorter (while in adults it can be a lifetime).
Stages of bite treatment for children with braces
The orthodontist decides which system to choose for a bite disorder. The most common are plates, eliners and braces. The first two are used for minor malocclusions: tremors (large gaps between teeth, slight crowding, deep bite). However, there are pathologies that can only be treated with braces. These include tooth rotation, severe crowding and crossbite.
In this case, the main stages in the treatment of a child's malocclusion are as follows:
- Initial consultation with an orthodontist to assess the current clinical picture;
- Diagnostic measures: orthopanorama and use of T-scan technology;
- Teeth cleaning by a hygienist;
- Impression taking;
- Fitting of braces and metal arches;
- Arch replacement every 6-8 weeks;
- Removal of the system when normal positioning of each dental unit and jaw alignment is achieved;
- Placement of retainers for anchorage;
- Follow-up appointments with the orthodontist to evaluate the treatment and maintain the results.
The cost of orthodontic treatment depends on the following factors: the type of system (plastic, metal, ceramic), the degree of pathology, the number and type of interventions required.
The duration of the treatment depends on the age of the patient, the complexity of the malocclusion, the individual characteristics of the body and the compliance with all the prescriptions of the doctor.
In general, treatment with braces is one of the best solutions for correcting malocclusions in children and adults. The most important thing is to contact a specialist in time and start treatment.
At the first consultation, the doctor will tell you in detail about which teeth need to be treated first, about the condition of your gums and about which design you need to choose in order to fill in the missing teeth.
About what actions and manipulations need to be carried out. Learn how to take good care of your mouth so you don't have to go to the dentist as often as possible.
After discussing the above aspects, your dentist will draw up a treatment plan, guide you by the stages, timing, cost of the upcoming treatment, make, if necessary, computer diagnostics of the teeth and make an appointment for you at a convenient time for you to start treatment.
It is worth restoring a lost tooth as early as possible, because delaying such a process can lead to unpleasant health consequences and undesirable costs in the future.
Patients who seek help for tooth loss too late unwittingly start the process of destruction of other adjacent teeth, because the load during chewing is not evenly distributed.
Dental implantation is one of the most reliable and effective procedures that allows you to restore one or more teeth.
The method of dental implantation is now very popular, because it helps patients to restore lost teeth both in the upper and lower jaws without grinding pine teeth, which is always carried out during prosthetics (crowns).
With implantation, the number of lost teeth does not matter. Dental implantation is considered to be the only right way out of care for everyone, because the healing rate of implants today is over 99%!
