“To diagnose a dental malocclusion, that is, an abnormal alignment of the lower and upper teeth, a clinical examination, radiographs, intraoral and extraoral photos and study models are required. The evaluations are carried out around the age of 3 and depending on the type of malocclusion, it is decided at what age the treatment should begin”, comments Dr. Claudia Paredes, a pediatric dentist at our clinic.

What is interceptive and/or preventive orthodontics?

It is a type of treatment that is performed in children to guide or correct the misalignment of the teeth and growth of the jaws. The goal is to treat malocclusion problems at an early age, before growth is complete and the problem becomes serious; in addition to preventing the patient from requiring a more complex, long and expensive future treatment.

What are its benefits?

• Improved aesthetics of the patient
• Harmful oral habits are eliminated
• Facilitates the correct eruption of permanent teeth
• Improves growth pattern
• Reduces treatment time, generating a lower cost for the patient

What are the types of treatment?

Treatments depend on the type of malocclusion. The lack of space for the alignment of the teeth is the most common problem. To correct it, the treatment may consist of dental wear, the use of removable or fixed appliances (which serve to gain or recover spaces) and dental extractions. In the case of bone problems, fixed or removable functional appliances can be used to correct the poor position of the jaws or stimulate their growth.

How can we know if our children need treatment?

If our children are 3 years old or older and have habits such as digital sucking, lip sucking, use a pacifier for a long time, the upper jaw has excessive growth, bites backwards or has very close or misaligned teeth, you should go to a consult with the pediatric dentist to rule out any type of malocclusion.

Dr. Claudia Paredes
Pediatric Dentis at Clínica Ricardo Palma