When you think of correcting your child’s smile alignment, your first thoughts may be of orthodontic treatment. After all, orthodontic braces are the traditional way of helping a child develop straighter, more attractive, and more functional smiles. However, in some cases, there’s more at play than just the alignment of your child’s teeth. For instance, issues with uneven or disproportionate facial growth can lead to a host of problems down the road, including respiratory issues and sleep breathing disorders. To prevent such problems, your child’s dentist might recommend orthotropics to correct any issues with facial growth.
How Does Orthotropics Work?
One of the biggest differences between orthodontics and orthotropics is that orthotropic treatment involves correcting the growth of all of your child’s facial structures, not just the teeth and jawbone. Orthotropics involves the expansion of the upper palate with the help of a custom-designed appliance, which is followed by the properly aligning of the lower jaw. The goal is to ensure that the upper jaw is properly proportioned with the rest of the face, and that all of your child’s teeth and oral structures have room to grow properly.
What Does Better Facial Growth Mean?
Like orthodontic treatment, orthotropics offers significant, lifelong benefits that greatly impact your child’s oral health and quality of life. By ensuring the proper growth of your child’s facial structures, orthotropics can help them reduce their risks of things like bruxism and TMJ disorder, snoring and sleep apnea, and more.
Learn More About Fixing Facial Growth with Orthotropics
Your child’s facial growth plays an important role in many different aspects of their oral and overall health. To learn more about fixing that growth with orthotropics, schedule a consultation by calling the office of James Stewart, DDS in Livonia, MI, today at (734) 425-4400. We also proudly serve patients who live in Farmington Hills, Farmington, Plymouth, Northville, Novi, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Garden City, Westland, Redford, and all surrounding communities.