Do children's crooked deciduous teeth need to be corrected? Can orthodontics change the face shape?

Author: Zhou Yanheng, Chief Physician, Peking University School of Stomatology

Former Chairman of the Orthodontics Committee of the Chinese Stomatological Association

Reviewer: Li Song, Chief Physician, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University

Director of the Chinese Stomatological Association

There are many children in our country who have uneven teeth and need correction.

After the teeth are aligned, it is not only helpful for oral health, but also has a good impact on the patient's self-confidence and psychology.

1. Do children’s crooked deciduous teeth need correction?

More than 90% of the time, it is not recommended to correct the irregularities of deciduous teeth. Because children change their teeth around the age of six, there is basically very little that can be corrected, so try not to correct them before the age of six.

Many parents are now paying special attention to this. For example, when a three or four-year-old child smiles, his gums are exposed a lot. Should they be corrected? Also, should a four or five-year-old child with an underbite be corrected?

It is usually not recommended to do orthodontic treatment so early, because the child is too young and may not cooperate with many operations, and it is still very uncomfortable for children to correct their teeth. Therefore, it is usually not recommended to correct deciduous teeth, unless the patient has anterior crossbite (i.e. underbite) during the deciduous period. We will start early correction at around four or five years old.

Figure 1 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

But it is particularly important when the children are seven or eight years old, when the front teeth have just been replaced. This is when the permanent teeth become related. If there are problems with the tooth arrangement, active intervention is needed. Children are more receptive and will not suffer too much. It is also good for the health of their teeth and oral cavity.

2. Will it be painful during orthodontic treatment?

According to the current development of medical technology, the pain can be alleviated through the doctor's control. However, after all, the brackets need to be glued on, which will definitely have some irritation to the mucosa and teeth.

No anesthesia is required when wearing braces. It won’t hurt much when you first put them on. It will usually be a little painful on the second or third day, but it won’t hurt after two or three days. It also depends on each person’s pain threshold.

In addition, generally a follow-up visit is required every six to eight weeks. After each adjustment of the strength, there will be a little pain within two or three days, so this has a minor impact.

Of course, for some patients with more serious deformities, a bone screw needs to be inserted between two teeth. At this time, anesthesia is needed. There will be some pain after the anesthetic effect wears off. It is generally recommended that patients take some painkillers, so the pain is controllable.

When you hear about bone nails, you may get a little nervous, but don't reject bone nails because of psychological fear. Because bone nails are good for the movement of teeth. They and invisible braces are two technological revolutions recognized by the world. Through bone nails, doctors can have more control over the movement of teeth.

Generally speaking, invisible braces are less painful or even painless.

3. Can orthodontics change the shape of the face?

When teeth are moved through orthodontics, in addition to aligning the teeth and occlusion, it also has a great impact on the face shape.

The lower third of the face determines the beauty of a person's face to a large extent, which is why many people without chins go for chin augmentation. When correcting teeth, for example, if the upper part is more convex, it can be retracted, and if the chin is more shrunk, you can also find a way to make the chin appear, which is quite interesting.

By moving teeth, the face shape can be modified very naturally. However, if the mandibular problem is particularly serious, orthodontics alone cannot achieve a good aesthetic effect, so jaw surgery is required.

Of course, for people who have no problem with their teeth alignment, it is definitely not recommended to change the face shape by correcting teeth, but for many people, their face shape does become more beautiful after correcting their teeth.

4. Will orthodontics cause loose teeth?

Many people have questions. Orthodontic treatment requires moving the teeth. Will this cause the teeth to become loose? If the teeth are moved, will they become loose? What should we do in the future?

In fact, let me give you an example to make it clear. When planting a tree, you move a tree from one place to another. If the tree survives, it will definitely grow stronger and stronger.

Orthodontic treatment is to move teeth from one position to another. It is a slow process, so they always maintain a relatively healthy state. After arriving at the new position, they can adapt to the new environment, so they can grow strong quickly.

Figure 2 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

If your teeth become loose in the future, it actually has nothing to do with the previous correction of your teeth. What does it have to do with? It has to do with oral hygiene maintenance. If you can wash your teeth every six months after correction, it can almost guarantee that your teeth will be very healthy for a lifetime and will not become loose.