Woollahra Dental

As a parent it is important to help your child grow and develop in the best way possible. This should apply to your Dentist too. It’s important for you to understand WHY a dental treatment is being recommended and if it really is the best method for your child. Too often dentists treat children with “traditional orthodontics” (metal braces on the outside of teeth) or Invisalign with disregard to the reason WHY teeth are not aligned in the first place.   Teeth grow and move into place based on the structure of the bones and muscles around them. They also move due to how the tongue is positioned in the mouth. It’s important for your dentist to evaluate if your child’s teeth are crooked due to an improper development. There are several indicators that your child may have an improper development and growth in their jaw, teeth, and or muscles of the skull: ·          Lack of spacing in baby teeth ·          Difficulty nursing ·          Cross-bite ·          Under-bite ·          Fo

It is possible to improve the aesthetics and function of your child’s smile without braces via the use of ALF. ALF is short for Advanced Lightwire Functionals, known to be a self-healing appliance.   The use of this appliance being worn incorporates a method of orthopaedic and orthodontic treatment.   From an orthopaedic perspective this appliance aides in aligning the bones in the jaw and cranium aka cranial osteopathy. Additionally, the ALF improves craniofacial muscle function. This is very important in creating a long lasting straight smile.   Teeth can be moved into a straight position but, over time may revert back to their “natural” (original) position if the bones in the jaw and skull aren’t first adapted into the correct position. This is why many people who have undergone treatment such as Invisalign require a permanently fixed metal bracket behind their teeth or a night guard. The benefits from an orthodontic perspective is the appliance is far more comfortable than brace