Orthodontic Time

Delay in Starting the Orthodontic Treatment

blonde lady who started her orthodontic treatment with delay

Disorders and issues regarding the teeth, need to be taken care of at the right time. If taken at the right time, the situation will be simpler for both the orthodontist and the patient. Delays in the orthodontic treatment cause a variety of different problems will be addressed in this essay.

Orthodontic appliances are meant to be used at any age, given the health of gum tissues and teeth. If the problem of the patient is related to a misaligned jaw, it’s recommended to start the treatment before puberty. However, if a patient with jaw problems visits the dentist after puberty, they will most likely need orthodontic treatment and surgeries.

If the patient suffers from dental deformities and no gum problems, fixed orthodontics can be done at any time, although it is still recommended to take care of dental problems before puberty starts.

girl with fixed orthodontics

Fixed orthodontics

Conditions such as: tooth protrusion, misaligned teeth, chewing problems sometimes force you to get orthodontic treatment. In these situations choosing the right time to start the treatment is often the patient’s main concern. Since delays in starting the treatment can cause the whole situation to face difficulties and challenges, the best decision is to contact an early orthodontist. After examining your condition and problems, an orthodontist can decide on the best starting time specifically for that patient.

It’s useful to know that there are other problems you may have never heard about that can be signs that a patient needs orthodontic treatment. These conditions include: frequently biting the inner tissue of your cheeks, not being able to close your mouth easily, having an asymmetrical face, etc. Constant visits to a dentist can easily help you recognize these problems. In this case, you would be introduced to an orthodontist, thus, they would help you decide on when to start the orthodontic treatment.

It is normally recommended to take an eight-year-old child to the orthodontist to check on the possible problems. In this way, the orthodontist can recommend which type of treatment is the right one for you, and when is the best time to start it. Many of the dental problems during adulthood can also be prevented.

girl with removable orthodontics

Removable orthodontic

Delaying orthodontic treatment might be the orthodontist’s recommendation!

Many parents take their seven-to nine-year-old children to the orthodontist as soon as they find problems. The cause for this is that they worry about delays in starting the treatment. Often patients think that their child has to suffer from other problems in the future or that the condition might not be completely treated. It’s safe to say that the orthodontist may either recommend starting the orthodontic treatment early when that patient is seven to nine years old or later on at the age of eleven or twelve ( when the last milk teeth have fallen ). The results that different starting points for the orthodontic treatment can cause are examined by the orthodontist considering these factors:

  • Results of the treatment
  • Duration of the treatment
  • The number of appointments needed
  • The patient’s association and willingness
  • Type of the deformity

The most important factor in determining the exact starting point for the treatment is the type of deformity. As different severity and types of deformities need to be cared for at young ages, so there won’t be any need for surgeries. Some other factors that cause orthodontists to recommend starting the treatment at a young age are the urgency of space for teeth and jaw adjustments.

girl with ceramic orthodontics

Ceramic orthodontics

Delay in starting the orthodontic treatment and beginning it in adulthood

You may have left your childhood and adolescence behind and decided to get orthodontic treatment in your adulthood. It is comforting to know that one of each five orthodontic treatments in the world is done for an adult, and being an adult won’t cause you any problems during your treatment.

Therefore, you should never refuse to visit an orthodontist because of your age. However, the treatment might be longer or more complicated when you are an adult. Starting the treatment as an adult may cause some difficulties for you because of the brackets, including speaking at work or giving speeches in formal assemblies. In this case, you might want to use ceramic, invisible, or other types of brackets so they would be less noticeable.

Delay in starting the orthodontic treatment can cause what problems?

  • Orthodontic treatment attempts to achieve the goal of adjusting, preventing more serious problems, and defining a growth pattern for jawlines. Ergo, having delays in starting the orthodontic treatment wouldn’t let the orthodontist create enough space in the Mandibular Arch for permanent teeth to grow.
  • Delays in starting the orthodontic treatment would cause patients with jaw deformities to have surgery in addition to the treatment.
  • Delays in starting the orthodontic treatment would cause other teeth to grow misaligned because of a few crooked or misaligned teeth.
  • Pronunciation disorders, not being able to speak correctly, respiratory problems, and digestive system disorders are also issues caused by not treating dentofacial deformities and delays in orthodontic treatment early.
  • Delays in starting the orthodontic treatment could cause the patient’s face to look untidy ( Often this affects self-confidence ).

 Delays in starting the orthodontic treatment FAQ

1-Should we start the treatment immediately if the lower jaw has jutted forward a little, or can we wait?

Patients with mandibular pragmatism must be treated as soon as possible, or else they would need surgery in addition to orthodontics.

2-What abnormalities need immediate treatment?

Patients with mandibular deviation or pragmatism must be treated as soon as possible.

3-What would happen if the patient’s not treated?

It would increase the need to do the surgery. The younger the patient is, the more they can reach their desired results with just the orthodontic treatment.

4-Can we postpone the treatment to after puberty if the patient has jaw problems, or should we begin it right away?

If the patient suffers from Mandibular or Maxillary problems, they need to be treated as soon as possible because having delays in starting the treatment would turn the jaw deformity into a skeletal abnormality that cannot be treated with only the orthodontic treatment. It also increases the need to do the surgery for these patients.

Dr Abdolreza Jamilian Orthodontist

About Dr Abdolreza Jamilian Orthodontist

Dr. Jamilian, an orthodontist, has a specialized fellowship in orthodontic surgery and maxillofacial abnormalities and is a professor in the orthodontics department of the Dentistry School of the Islamic Azad University. He is member of Iranian and European Board of Orthodontics (EBO) and is a member of the Iranian, American and European Orthodontists Association.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *