Young children and infants especially are undergoing many changes, developing and growing at a rate that is unseen in later life. This period of your child’s life before the age of 6 is a good opportunity to monitor and potentially guide the development of their craniofacial physiology to help them mature properly and in a way that allows for safe and healthy breathing and eating.
When it comes to the growth and development of the head and face, there are many areas in which our team can monitor and diagnose your current condition and keep track to make sure that abnormalities are avoided and corrected as soon as possible to ensure proper dental, oral and respiratory health. Our dentists, Dr. Laurel Morello and Dr. Paul Morello, can help you and your child’s cranial facial growth and development. Let us know if you have any concerns or questions regarding oral, facial and respiratory issues. Please give us a call today at (619) 404-2634 for more information or visit our dental office in El Cajon, California.
Newborns are particularly overlooked when it comes to their proper development. Birthing trauma is common and should be addressed as early as possible. Any lactation issues should be addressed by a specialist, and here at our office, we invite you to have a free consultation to evaluate your newborn for related oral issues.
Dentofacial orthopedics is a type of orthodontic treatment focused on the control and modification of facial growth. Dentofacial orthopedic treatment can gently guide the growth of bone structure and the related imbalances of the face and jaws.
As the upper jaw grows, so do the sinus cavities allowing for an improvement of airflow through the nose. Lips-together nasal breathing provides optimal oxygen uptake. Air breathed in through the nose is filtered, warmed and carries nitric oxide to the lungs, allowing the capillaries to open and allow more oxygen uptake to the body.
Children are the best candidates for dentofacial orthopedics as their bones and jaws are still growing and can be more easily guided into their proper positions. Dentofacial orthopedics for children often involve two phases of treatment, the first of which begins at about 3 or 4 years of age when the bone is most pliable and the brain is at peak development. During this stage, our dentists will use treatments designed to improve jaw size and alignment. As the jaw grows, the resulting space gain allows the teeth to have room to move into their proper places. At this point, a second stage of treatment to fine-tune the alignment may be necessary. In this second stage of treatment, braces are often used to straighten misaligned teeth in their newfound space-eliminating rotations of and space between the teeth without diminishing the size of the jawbones.
Dentofacial orthopedics can also benefit adults as there are proven studies showing bone growth in this age group. Many have realized through jaw growth and development that sleep breathing disorders have been minimized or eliminated, relieving patients of the need for a CPAP machine or other oral dental devices. Please call our office today to schedule your consultation with our experienced dentists and learn if dentofacial orthopedics is right for you or your child!
