Correcting Front Overlapping Teeth and Help Normal Jaw Growth
This is a case study in early intervention in the growth of child to prevent further complications in life.
This case is called a pseudo class III malocclusion.
Yes, it’s a bit different but the solution is simple and short term.
The upper central incisor teeth have grown to be behind the lower teeth when biting together. Her teeth are generally crowded. So, it looks she will need full orthodontic treatment when she is older.
However, this arrangement of teeth has caused the patient’s lower jaw to posture forward. This gives the impression of a prominent chin.
This is typical of a class III malocclusion of the jaw bones to each. The pseudo term describes that the forward posture of the lower jaw is not due to bone growth but rather a bite induced posturing of the lower jaw to be more forward of the upper jaw.
It’s not meant to be!
How do we know that?
We check the real bite of the teeth by opening the mouth and slowly closing the lower jaw until the teeth touch together. In this case the upper teeth touch the top edge of the lower teeth. As the person continues to close on the teeth, the upper teeth slide behind the lower teeth and the lower jaw postures forward.
With closure upper teeth slide behind lower teeth and the lower jaw postures forward.
If this is not corrected, the lower jaw’s future growth will be enhanced to be postured forward. This will change the patient’ s facial profile, chewing ability and promote more crowding of teeth. As further teeth come though, they fit in a position that enhances this forward position.
What can be done?
We make an appliance that is worn in mouth as part of a removable plate. It has embedded in it two springs (called Z-springs) that push the upper central incisors forward. There are also clasps in the plate that hold the appliance onto the back teeth.
The lower teeth bite on to the plate so as to allow to the upper front teeth to move forward. The movement occurs once the spring is “activated” by bending the wire to press behind the teeth so as to push forward, and even slightly rotate, the teeth so as to line up with the adjacent teeth.
The treatment involves the bending the coiled spring every 2 weeks to continually engage the back of the upper central incisors as they move forward.
Once the bite has been corrected once the patient can close their teeth naturally without any forward movement of the lower jaw,
The facial profile has no prominent chin and the front and back teeth bite in a comfortable bite.
The other benefit is swallowing is now more normal and comfortable. The patient’s speech has also improved.
More importantly, the lower jaw growth will be normal.
The treatment took two months. We are taking advantage of the growth of the child’s teeth and bone which enabled a short treatment time to be achieved.
Where possible, early intervention orthodontics can be very helpful!
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