Limits of Orthodontics

These are applications to minimise the problems occurred due to harmful habits that are seen in pre-school years (also called milk dentition period) such as thumb sucking, biting lips, or putting foreign bodies in mouth. If these habits can be eliminated during milk dentition period, recovery without permanent damage on skeletal structure may be possible. Certain in-mouth or extra oral devices may be used for this purpose.

Mixed dentition period involves primary school children; this age group has both milk and permanent teeth in their mouths. During this period, lack of space problems may occur due to losing milk teeth early or late (and inability to guide to permanent teeth). Curing this crooked structure is what orthodontics is about, while misalignment of upper and lower jaws starting in this period until adolescence is also a subject for orthodontics.

Disruption of teeth line can be fixed with or without pulling teeth by fixed or moveable gadgets during permanent dentition period.

Treating teeth irregularities (crooked teeth) caused by gum problems or tooth loss is also a subject for orthodontics.