Should one wait until all the baby teeth have fallen out before braces?

Doctor's Answers 1

Hello!

I would definitely recommend that you bring your son to see a dentist/orthodontist for the most relevant advice for your son's case.

There are early orthodontic treatments which can be provided for your son. However, this can be dependent on your son's growth and his type of malocclusion.

If indicated, early treatment can be provided with:

  • Functional appliances. eg. bionator/twin block. These are removable appliances and cooperation is needed. They are ideally used in prepubertal patients.
  • Herbst/MARA appliance is not removable and used to help the lower jaw develop in a forward direction. It is used at the end of the growth spurt but only in patients with a retrognathic mandible.
  • Invisalign teen - clear aligner therapy for teens which can accommodate the eruption of your son's adult teeth as they begin to grow.

Please understand that these treatment examples I have given may not apply to your son at all. They are simply the more common early treatments available.

The very best way is to seek some advice in person. If growth modification can be used to help your son's case, since he is already 14 years old, the earlier you see an orthodontist, the better.

I hope this at least helps a little!

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We will need to first determine the cause of your father's high blood pressure - whether it is anxiety or hypertension. In order to do that, you may want to bring your father to a medical general practitioner (GP) or cardiologist for a check up. After your father's medical doctor has established the cause of the increase in blood pressure, do let your father's dentist/dental specialist know the following: 1) your father's existing medical conditions, if any 2) medications and the dosage taken currently, if any 3) name and contact number of your father's medical doctor.

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Do braces change your facial profile?

You have asked a very interesting question and I am afraid the answer is yes and no! I will try to explain it as best I can. Braces CAN change profiles: Braces can change profiles only when the orthodontists and the patient plan to get it changed from the START of the treatment. A good example is when patients complain that when taking photographs, they notice that their side profile is sticking out and they have a very full smile (most patients use the terms, I look like a horse!) In this case, braces can help to retract the teeth to allow the patient to have a softer, gentler profile.

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