Dr. Marta Baird, a Board-Certified Orthodontist in Pleasanton, California, explains interproximal reduction and its benefits for orthodontic patients. This procedure is particularly useful for addressing dental crowding and protrusion, enhancing the alignment, health, function, and aesthetics of teeth. Interproximal reduction involves the careful removal of a small amount of tooth structure between teeth and, when performed conservatively, poses no long-term dental consequences.
Join us as we follow Carrie's orthodontic journey! At 9 years old, Carrie came in for her first consultation. She had an anterior crossbite, crowding, and a retrusive upper jaw. Our goal was to resolve the crowding and improve the position of her upper jaw. In Phase I, we used a Maxillary Expander with a Face Mask and braces. Years later, for Phase II, Carrie was treated with Invisalign® to correct her mild misalignment. Watch to see her amazing transformation!
The goal of Phase I was to expand her maxilla (upper jaw), bring the maxilla forward, and create space for her developing teeth. Once she had finished nine months of Phase I treatment, the patient was monitored during the next phase of development.
There are 12 adult teeth present during Phase I. The observation phase monitors the eruption of 16 additional adult teeth after the first phase.
Once all of her adult teeth had erupted, the patient was ready for Phase II treatment. The patient was treated using Invisalign (R) Aligners for 13 months.
Dr. Marta Baird reviews nature of the Class III bite for young patients. She describes the reason for treatment and the types of appliances used. Two patient examples are shown with before and after treatment from Phase I with an orthodontic face mask, all the way to Phase II with Invisalign. Without orthodontic treatment, the maxilla is prevented from its normal forward growth. Early intervention prevents the need for more invasive treatments such as surgery or extractions.
A Class II occlusion occurs when the upper teeth are more forward in the face than the lower teeth. In this video, Dr. Baird explains the way patients with Class II occlusions grow and how this bite is corrected with orthodontic treatment.
Without orthodontic intervention, the bite will increase with severity as a child grows. Sometimes this increased severity may require extraction of permanent teeth. Class II elastics with Invisalign is a comfortable way to correct the bite in growing patients.
In the following video Dr. Marta Baird explains how sometimes due to the late timing of treatment or the severity of the bite, extractions may be necessary. For patients with protrusive upper incisors, two premolars are extracted in the upper arch. Dr. Marta Baird shows two example patients treated at Baird Orthodontics with extractions. One with braces and one with Invisalign Clear Aligners.
