Timing in Orthodontics: A Simple Guide for the General Practitioner

Abstract

Thousands of children visit the dentist every year and even though general practitioners do their best to provide them with good oral health, there is always something that escapes our control: the way teeth and jaws are disposed of. According to research carried out in the UK almost 55 % of the children population has an orthodontic problem. So how should we general dentists know when it's the right timing to refer these patients for their first appointment with an orthodontist when even specialist's opinions on this matter differ? These treatments, in general, are very time sensitive and if premature or delayed it leads to problems down the line which could have been prevented in the first place. The purpose of this study is to provide the general practitioner with the necessary tools and tricks to identify the most common skeletal malocclusions in the dental practice and to give them the ability to decide on the best moment to start with our orthodontic treatment based on age, development and the specific jaw problem.