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Early Treatment
The Australian Association of Orthodontics recommends that the initial orthodontic evaluation should occur at the first signs of orthodontics problems. To ensure this, it is recommended that children have their initial orthodontic consultation at the age of 7.
Why the age of 7?
This is because, by this age, the first adult molars would have erupted to establish the bite. We would be able to establish the bite and any future potential crowding or spacing problems.
It is also the optimal time to evaluate skeletal development and to identify the position of the permanent teeth.
Every child’s needs are unique. For some children, it is best to start treatment before all the permanent teeth have erupted and this is referred to as Phase I treatment, or interceptive treatment. For other children, it would make more sense to wait until all adult teeth have erupted.
It is important to monitor and commence treatment in a timely manner as it can improve the stability, function and aesthetics of the results while helping it to prevent problems in the future.
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The benefits of early treatment are:
- Guides jaw growth and permanent teeth into more favourable positions
- Reduces the possible need of removing adult teeth to resolve crowding or bite problems.
- Lowers the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- May help correct detrimental habits
- Helps manage potential crowding/spacing issues
- Helps improve appearance & self esteem of a child
- Maintains space for un-erupted adult teeth
- The use of plates early that help change the skeletal jaw positions may reduce the need for surgery later on.
Adolescent Treatment
Refers to treatment in the early to late teenage years. This may also be referred to as Phase II treatment.
This phase of treatment often involves braces to align teeth and correct the bite. During this phase of treatment, a short period of a fixed plate may be used to broaden the smile and avoid extractions.
Braces today come in a variety of styles and materials making life with braces much more comfortable and even more stylish than in the past. Some are even invisible, such as Invisalign Teen and clear braces.
The most common question asked by most teenagers is “how long will I need to wear braces?” The answer to this question depends on;
- What needs correction
This varies from person to person and the severity of the malocclusion and how well your body responds to treatment. It may take one person only 12 months and another 24 months to complete treatment.
- You!!
This is how well you wear appliances and how well you look after your braces.
At Chisholm Orthodontics, the state of the art braces we use will work in the shortest possible time producing the best possible results.
Orthognathic Treatment
Orthognathic surgery refers to jaw surgery, which may be carried out if there is a gross discrepancy in the size of the upper jaw to the lower jaw.
Surgery is most often carried out when growth has completed or has almost been completed.
There are times when the bite discrepancy is too large to fix with tooth movements alone. Often the problem is the incompatibility of the upper and lower jaws being out of proportion to one another and to the cranial base.
To resolve the discrepancy, braces are put on to set teeth up, followed by jaw surgery to achieve jaw bone compatibility and bite correction.
The pre-surgical and post-surgical orthodontics is critical to establish long term stability and success of treatment and to achieve a beautifully balanced bite and smile.
Pre-surgical orthodontics helps in ideal tooth placement for the surgery and post-surgery, when the tissues have healed Dr Chisholm, guides the teeth into an ideal relationship.
Adult Treatment
Think braces are just for children or teenagers? well think again. Adults’ seeking orthodontic treatment is not a strange occurrence.
The most commonly asked question is “am I too old to have my teeth straightened?” The answer is “definitely not.” Those who missed the opportunity when they were younger and have never really been happy with the way their teeth look can certainly achieve a perfect smile and a good bite; improving their self-esteem and dental health.
Adults seeking a healthy, beautiful smile has increased in the past 5 years – as a beautiful smile has an impact on the way we look and perceive ourselves. Gwen Stefani, Diana Ross, Tom Cruise, Delta Goodrem and Whoopi Goldberg all sported a metal braced smile during adulthood, often while they worked on films and other projects. Actress Kathryn Heigel wanted a nice smile before her wedding to fix her ‘wonky teeth’ with Invisalign, which she wore during the filming of 27 Dresses.
Improving the health of your teeth and gums is important, as crooked teeth and a bad bite can contribute to gum and bone loss, tooth decay and abnormal wear of teeth enamel and surfaces. It can also contribute to headaches and jaw joint pain. Orthodontic treatment may be part of a more comprehensive dental treatment plan to replace missing teeth or as part of other oral rehabilitation.
Adult orthodontics treatment in some cases may take a few months longer, as often the cases are more complex. Teeth straightening options for adults may include metal braces, translucent/clear braces, Invisalign or lingual braces. During the initial examination, we will be able to determine the best treatment option to achieve the best result for your individual need.
Our adult patients will agree that it is never too late to improve your smile.
Syndromes & Clefts
This type of treatment often involves multiple stages of surgery to get the best bite and appearance for the child. Treatment is commenced early. Dr Chisholm works in conjunction with the Australian Cranio-Facial Unit at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital.