ORTODONTIC PROPHYLAXIS

Ortodontics – deals with treating bite defects caused by long teeth
and jaws positioning.

Bite defects are risk factors for:

• caries and parodontosis, building up of dental plaque on dental
  surfaces, which are incorrectly positioned in arch, impeded cleaning
  
• muscle and tempo-mandibular joint aches
  
• disadvantegous look and at the same time worse feeling

Orthodontic prophilaxis should be implemented from earliest period of child’s life.
1. Fetal period prophylaxis
proper hygiene during pregnancy and good diet
Avoiding tight clothing and medications during first trimester,
because in this period it may cause defects like cleft.

2. Infants
Positioning the head a little higher during sleep prevents distocclusion
and also provides correct nasal breathing pathway.
Natural breast feeding provides good development of chewing organ .

3. Toddlers

• as soon as possible switch to feeding with spoon
  
• during milk teeth teething child should receive harder foods, best raw,
  whole fruits and vegetables, bread with crust, avoid pulp foods
  
• biting and chewing of harder foods forces facial muscles for
  vigorous work and influences tempo- mandibular joints development.
  Eating this kind of foods helps in removing dental deposits and
  protects from dental plaque formation
  
• avoid comforter, although some children have strong necessity
  for chewing, in this case comforter is better than finger
  
• fighting bad habits like finger chewing, biting nails, lip and other
  items biting like pens and pencils.
  
• correct speech development
  
• nasal breathing control instead oral pathway is crucial for
  development of paranasal sinuses
  
• teething and dentition exchange control
  
• proper oral hygiene, daily oral care with morning and evening
  teeth brushing, vigorous mouth flushing
  
• treatment of caries in milk teeth is aimed at premature milk teeth
  loss; they maintain necessary space for permanent teeth and
  correct jaw development