Within the treatments oforthodontics for childrenInterceptive orthodontics is an early treatment of dental anomalies. Interceptive orthodontic treatment helps to reduce the appearance or aggravation of a bad position of the teeth or the jaw.
When to consider orthodontic interceptive treatment?
A interceptive orthodontic treatment can be started as early as 4 years of age. This type of early orthodontic treatment is used on children from 6 to 9 years old. At this age, they are still growing, which allows the treatment to be more effective and faster.
In which cases is an orthodontic interception treatment proposed?
Interception treatments can be offered to children to treat different problems, among which we can mention:
- Tooth gap mainly due to thumb sucking,
- A mismatch between the upper and lower jaws that increases the risk of fracture of the upper teeth since they are too far forward compared to the lower ones,
- A difference in width between the two jaws,
- A crowded jaw, with baby teeth that have fallen out too quickly and no longer leave enough room for the growth of permanent teeth, can also be corrected with interceptive treatment.
Also note that if your child is a mouth-breatherThis can have consequences for orthodontic interception treatments
The different orthodontic interception treatments
Depending on the problem, there are different possible interventions during an interceptive treatment:
- The space maintainer
A space maintainer is used to keep the necessary space in the jaw to allow the growth of permanent teeth. This dental interceptive appliance is used when the milk teeth have fallen out too early.
- The upper and lower jaw extension plate
This type of treatment corrects the width of a narrow upper or lower jaw. A jaw extension plate is used so that the permanent teeth have enough room to grow in properly.
- The growth activator
This temporary appliance corrects a discrepancy between the upper and lower jaw. The growth activator will close this gap in a few months.
- The upper jaw extension plate
This interceptive treatment corrects the width of the upper jaw to match the width of the lower jaw so that the permanent teeth have room to grow.
How long does an orthodontic interceptive treatment last?
Interceptive orthodontic treatment is shorter than conventional orthodontic treatment. It usually lasts at least a year and a half, depending on the starting gap and the child's wearing of the appliances. Since this type of treatment is used on young children, between 6 and 8 years old, the results are quick and not very painful.
During growth, the bones are more flexible and it is therefore easier to correct the position of the jaw.
Discover our dedicated articles to have more information on orthodontic expenses incurred for your child's treatment or on the reimbursements that can be obtained for children's orthodontics.