Orthodontics examines not only the arrangement of unwanted positions of the teeth, but also the harmony of the upper and lower jaw with each other and the harmony of the jaws with the face. In the light of these examinations, the goal is to achieve better breathing, speech, chewing and good facial aesthetics.

Orthodontic examination starts at the age of 6. If there is a problem, early intervention is important for bone and facial development. Orthodontic treatment is not only the alignment and arrangement of teeth. It can prevent, stop or treat misdirection of facial and jaw development due to various reasons at an early age.

There is no upper age limit for orthodontic treatment, if the patient’s bone, gum and general health is appropriate, treatment can be performed at the age of 80.

Orthodontic treatment is personalized. It should be performed by physicians specialized in their field. Both treatment methods have advantages and disadvantages. You can decide which treatment is right for you together with your orthodontist.

• In the presence of prematurely extracted deciduous teeth, pedodontists and orthodontists can apply placeholders to protect the place of the permanent tooth coming from below.

• If a placeholder is not made to replace a prematurely lost deciduous tooth and the place for the permanent tooth to erupt is closed when it is too late, the teeth can be pushed into their correct places with removable appliances or transparent plates to prevent them from erupting from the wrong place.

• In the presence of bad habits such as mouth breathing, finger, lip or tongue sucking, prolonged bottle use, improper swallowing

• Preventive treatment of such conditions at an early age can be done with a number of appliances or suggestions.

• In cases of lower jaw anteriority or upper jaw retardation or in class III cases where these conditions are seen together

• At an early age, we can solve this situation with the appliance we call orthodontic face mask or, if the situation is simpler, with removable appliances. The upper age limit for this treatment is usually 13. In cases where we cannot intervene later, patients need surgical treatment.

• When we use a face mask, the need for orthognathic surgery in advanced ages is eliminated in most cases thanks to the limited lower jaw growth and enlarged upper jaw, while in some cases the patient can be directed from a severe surgery to a simpler surgery.

• When lower jaw retardation is found

• It is a skeletal disorder that requires orthognathic surgery if not treated before puberty. Because of the retarded lower jaw, the posterior airways are usually blocked and the child breathes through the mouth. With mouth breathing, the development of the lower jaw is further retarded and the condition is exacerbated. This condition can be corrected with many orthodontic appliances.

• In the presence of asymmetry

• If the child is normal when the mouth is open but shifts his/her jaw to the right or left when biting, you should bring him/her for an orthodontic examination regardless of age. Since asymmetry is difficult to treat, we recommend early intervention even in very young children.

• The duration varies depending on the treatment method used, the path the physician chooses for the treatment and most importantly the patient’s cooperation. The treatment of the patient who cooperates with the physician is always both better and shorterJ Generally speaking, simple treatments can be completed in 6 months, while more complex treatments can take up to 36 months.

• The earlier the treatment of stenosis of the upper jaw, the better for the development of the face and respiratory tract.

• However, there is no need to worry if it is too late and delayed until a later age. In the literature, jaw expansion can be performed with individually designed apparatus called MARPE in upper jaw stenosis without surgery until the age of 40. In necessary cases, the jaw expansion method called SARPE, which includes surgical support, can be applied.

• The harmony of the face and jaws with each other is one of the first things to be considered in orthodontic treatments. If the patient’s main complaint is that there is a problem in the jaws, if there is a problem in the airway , if we cannot provide aesthetics with compensation treatment, if the position of the teeth does not allow compensation treatment, orthognathic surgery is the first option. But if the situation is not very severe, if there is not much problem in facial aesthetics, if the patient is only uncomfortable with his teeth and can be compensated, camouflage treatment can be performed.

• With orthodontic treatment, pain is very likely to occur while moving the teeth and jaws. It is natural to have mild aching pain for 3 to 10 days at first during the treatment process. If you are very uncomfortable when the pain occurs, you can only use painkillers containing Paracetamol. Other painkillers can stop tooth movement, so we recommend that you do not use them.