What is interceptive dentofacial orthopedic treatment and is it necessary?
The objectives of interceptive dentofacial orthopedic treatment are to correct the relative sizes and forms of the jaws, and the relationship of the jaws to each other and the cranial base. These objectives are best accomplished during childhood periods of exuberant growth, and the earlier the better. By normalizing the size and form of the jaws, the orthodontist makes room in your child’s jaws for your child’s permanent teeth. Treatment objectives are largely skeletal and are accomplished by dental facial orthopedics rather than orthodontics. Your orthodontist may expand your child’s palate and initiate correction of overbites, underbites, and crossbites. As noted above, orthodontic problems arose over thousands of years during which the growth of the human jaws evolved at a slower rate than the teeth. Your orthodontist can often improve the growth rate of the jaws to insure there will be room for all of your child’s permanent teeth.
