Specialist Dental Professionals provide answers to the most commonly asked questions in respect of various dental technologies and expertise. From the list below choose one of the FAQs topics. If you have a question which is not in this section, please contact us.
What is the correct time/age to start treatment?
There are a certain group of young patients with specific problems eg. Crossbites , that require an early or preliminary phase of treatment at about age 8. Otherwise , most are treated when the majority of the permanent teeth have erupted at about age 12. It is important to note that a preliminary phase of treatment does not necessarily preclude the need for treatment when most of the permanent dentition has erupted.
At what age should my child see an orthodontist?
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommendation is that a child should have a consultation at the age of 7. This does not imply that treatment will be necessary but will allow for any problem to be diagnosed early and the road forward planned appropriately.
Is earlier treatment better?
This is not necessarily the correct approach. There are specific problems that require early interception. In order that patients’ are not being treated for an inordinately long time it is important that planning include the correct time to start treatment.
Treatment can only be concluded when all the teeth are correctly positioned. If the orthodontist is waiting for these to erupt prior to being able to position them, then treatment may be prolonged unnecessarily.
My child has been having speech therapy for a long time..?
.My child has been having speech therapy for a long time and there has been little improvement lately. The teeth are very crooked. What should I do? The production of certain sounds may be very difficult if not impossible for a child if the arrangement of the teeth does not provide the environment for these sounds. It may be necessary for some preliminary orthodontic treatment to provide an environment conducive to the production of various sounds and an improvement in speech.
My child is a thumbsucker. When should this be attended to?
It is very important to start addressing this issue as soon as possible. The treatment involved would take into account the age of the child and may involve other facets apart from mere appliance therapy.
I have heard of treatment with an appliance called Invisalign. What is this?
What is this and could I have treatment using this?
Invisalign involves treatment with a sequence of invisible aligners which look similar to thin gumguards. Not all patients are suitable for this kind of treatment due to the nature of their problem and the limitations of this appliance with regard to the movement that can be achieved.
It would be best to consult an orthodontist to find out if you are an appropriate candidate for this kind of treatment.
I have heard of treatment with braces on the inside of the teeth that are not visible?
Can I be treated like this?
This is called lingual orthodontics and is not practiced by all orthodontists. It is demanding on the orthodontist and more difficult than treatment on the outer surfaces of the teeth. It is therefore also more costly. It would be best to consult an orthodontist in this regard.
I have missing teeth and the teeth that are present are crooked. Who should I see?
It would be best to see an orthodontist first. The important thing here is planning and sequencing of treatment. Ideally it would be best to plan the ideal position of the teeth that are present to provide for the placement of implants to replace the missing teeth in the appropriate positions.
This kind of treatment involves an interdisciplinary approach and the orthodontist would involve other dental professionals eg. Dentist, prosthodontist, surgeon or periodontist at an early stage to plan the treatment correctly to get the best possible result.
We are emigrating and my child is currently undergoing orthodontic treatment. What should I do?
Explain to your orthodontist that you are emigrating and tell the orthodontist where you are going. The orthodontist will then give you your records and relevant supporting documentation regarding what has been going on during treatment to take with you to an orthodontist in the country you are moving to.
You will then be able to transfer to a new orthodontist and continue treatment. Ask your orthodontist for a list of orthodontists in your new country.
My child finished orthodontic treatment a long time ago and is still wearing retainers.
Can she stop wearing them now?
The global thinking regarding retention is that it is forever. All patients should wear retainers long term at least with some regularity.
It is often possible to cut down on the frequency of retainer wear as time goes by but not advisable to stop completely. Your child should also still see the orthodontist from time to time to check that all is well and that the retainer still fits properly.
