TREATMENT TYPES

A patient may receive orthodontic treatment at any age – as children, from the age of 6, and as adults. There are, however, certain key points in development that are more opportune to the start of orthodontic treatment. The timing of the initial consultation and diagnosis will govern the implementation of the correct treatment and its successful outcome.

For reasons of clarity and understanding, and by way of information, below you will find a guide to different orthodontic treatments based on the age of the patient.

EARLY PREVENTIVE ORTHODONTICS FROM 6 YEARS OF AGE

It is generally agreed that the first orthodontic consultation should take place when a child reaches the age of 6 years old. The aim of this initial encounter with an orthodontic specialist, at a point in time when the child’s mouth still contains all their milk teeth, is to diagnose and subsequently correct any anomalies (in the teeth and jawbones) and/or any deforming habits (thumb sucking for example) that may become established and/or get worse as the child grows up.

CORRECTIVE ORTHODONTICS IN CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 7 AND 11 YEARS OLD

Implementing corrective treatments in children during the period when they are losing their milk teeth makes it possible to find sufficient space in the mouth to straighten all the permanent teeth. The advantage of this approach is that thanks to the child’s growth, it is possible for the child to keep their teeth and the process of straightening them is easier. It is not necessary to extract any of the child’s permanent teeth!

This is also the age at which misaligned teeth need to be corrected in order to avoid dental trauma and factures of the incisors (the front teeth).

ADOLESCENT ORTHODONTICS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 16 YEARS OLD

In adolescents, who have already lost their milk teeth, growth is beginning to slow down.
All their permanent teeth are coming through and/or are already present in the mouth.
To obtain beautifully straight teeth, it may sometimes be necessary for certain permanent teeth to be extracted.

ADULT ORTHODONTICS – MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENTS
16 + YEARS OF AGE

One of the main differences when patients reach adulthood is the absence of growth and there is also a person’s dental history to take into consideration. Those two aspects make it necessary to take a multidisciplinary approach to treating adult patients. Treatment options range from the very straightforward to the very complicated and highly complex.

In certain cases, it may thus be that orthodontics alone cannot resolve the issues facing adult patients and they may need to undergo orthognathic (jaw) surgery.

Care is delivered by multidisciplinary teams involving several different specialists and the keys to its success are their skills, mutual collaboration and efficient coordination.

This short and non-exhaustive list of different types of orthodontic treatment does not and cannot replace an individual and personalised consultation with a specialist.

The upshot is that in matters of orthodontics, the only recommended course of action is to consult a specialist. That is all the more important since a patient’s reserve of motivation is capital in the process and does not usually regenerate!

Dr Palucha is available for consultations at her clinic where she can give you advice and guide you along your path through orthodontic care.

DID YOU KNOW?

Do not wait for all your child’s milk teeth to fall out to make an appointment with an orthodontic specialist.

In France, you can see a specialist in orthodontics without having to go through a dental surgeon.