Orthotropics vs Orthodontics
Different philosophies on the cause of malocclusions and treatments vary among practitioners and countries. Orthodontics primarily focuses on aligning teeth for aesthetic and functional purposes, utilizing braces and retainers. Conversely, Orthotropics represents a fundamental shift in perspective by emphasizing the significance of facial development and airway health on overall well-being. While orthodontics often targets the teeth directly, Orthotropics advocates for early intervention to guide the natural growth patterns of the face, aiming to address the root causes of malocclusions rather than merely treating the symptoms.
Orthotropics:
- Guidance of facial growth and subsequent airway development.
- Recognizes the impact of genetics and environmental factors on genetic growth.
- Muscular changes can influence skeletal growth, as observed in conditions like strokes, muscular dystrophy, and nasal obstructions, which highlight the significant effect the environment can have on facial growth and development.
- Treatment begins in early childhood when the face undergoes exponential growth (birth to age 10).
- Oral posture and tongue function are crucial in preventing growth abnormalities.
- Requires substantial parental involvement and commitment.
- Often requires a team of professionals to address nasal obstructions and tongue movements.
Key Information on Orthotropics
Orthotropics is a method focused on guiding the growth of the face and airways, emphasizing genetic and environmental influences on development.
Key principles include:
- Recognizing the interplay between genetics and environmental factors, such as muscular changes and nasal obstruction, can significantly impact facial growth.
- Targeting early childhood (birth to age 10), a period of exponential facial growth, to correct abnormalities and compensations.
- Highlighting the role of oral posture, nasal breathing, and tongue function in influencing facial development.
- Requiring substantial parental involvement and commitment to ensure effective outcomes.
- The goal is to have the space for teeth to erupt naturally into the correct position and eliminate the need for surgery. No extractions are required to gain space.
- Myofunctional therapy to correct abnormal tongue movements and improve.
- Myofunctional therapy to correct abnormal tongue movements and improve tongue posture will ensure retention and neuromuscular balance. We encourage you to research this topic further.
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