Pediatric Treatment Case Studies
“As a dental assistant and mother I can see that my son has lots of problems that need to be corrected.”
—Parent’s Concerns
Orthodontic Problem List
- Narrow upper jaw and retruded lower jaw,
- Spacing and rotation of upper center incisor teeth with side incisors displaced into a‘second row’ due to crowding,
- Traumatic non-functional bite of side teeth due to his jaw discrepancy, and
- Crowding of lower front teeth with side incisors in a ‘second row’.
Treatment Accomplishments
- Expansion of upper jaw,
- Closure of space between upper center incisors to allow for forward positioning of the side incisor teeth,
- Improvement in relationships of upper and lower jaws while establishing a functional bite of side teeth, and
- Improved alignment of lower front teeth.
“Thumb sucking has ‘caused’ a crossbite and open
bite and his upper front teeth are twisted.”
—Mother’s Conerns
Orthodontic Problem List
- Narrow upper jaw with crossbite (upper teeth ‘biting’ inside lower) on right side following lower jaw shift due to traumatic bite of side teeth,
- Severe open bite with a thumb-sucking habit, and
- Moderate upper tooth crowding with rotated center incisor teeth and upper side incisors blocked from eruption.
Treatment Accomplishments
- Widening of upper jaw and removal of lower jaw shift that could lead to uneven growth,
- Closure of open bite and correction of crossbite,
- Elimination of thumb-sucking habit in a ‘childfriendly’ manner, and
- Increased space to allow for eruption and alignment of crowded upper front teeth.
“As a dental assistant and mother I can see that my son has lots of problems that need to be corrected.”
—Parent’s Concerns
Orthodontic Problem List
- Narrow upper jaw resulting in a crossbite of the side teeth,
- Protruded (“sticking out”) and spaced upper front teeth,
- Upper crowding with insufficient space for adult tooth eruption, and
- Excessive gum display at full smile.
Treatment Accomplishments
- Widening of upper jaw and correction of crossbite,
- Closure of space between upper front teeth with retraction,
- Reduction in crowding while aiding in eruption of adult teeth, and
- Significant improvement of smile with removal of gum display.