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Craniofacial Orthopedics
Tooth position is inherently related to jaw position, therefore to achieve the best tooth position, we sometimes need to influence the position of the jaws.
For children and adolescents, their jaws and teeth are changing as they go through growth spurts. This can happen in a positive way or a negative way. For those patients whose jaws are not growing in accordance with one another, we can interfere to help achieve the best dental and facial result.
What is Craniofacial Orthopedics?
Craniofacial orthopedics is the practice of using various interventions to either guide the growth of the jaws or physically alter them. Dr. Kuzmic analyzes the pattern of every patient’s adolescent growth to determine if an intervention is necessary, what time it is necessary, and what appliance to design and use. By doing so, we can achieve not only the best tooth position outcome, but also jaw position outcome.
Treatments
Expander
Lower Jaw Positioner
Habit Appliances
Facemask
*Technical term for a large space between the upper and lower teeth is overjet!
An overbite refers to the vertical overlap of the top and bottom front teeth.*
Many more custom appliances for your child’s needs!
Our in-house lab allows us to custom-make and adjust orthopedic appliances.
Why Choose Kuzmic Orthodontics for Craniofacial Orthopedics
Having gone to a 3-year orthodontic residency program, Dr. Kuzmic has additional experience and exposure to cases requiring orthopedic intervention. He is well suited to guide you or your child through this process.
For children and early teenagers, craniofacial development is an indefensible part of treating problems with tooth alignment in patients with congenital disabilities such as cleft palates and lip problems. When these conditions arise, their complexity requires additional attention to ensure the best results for children, teenagers, and adults everywhere. At Kuzmic Orthodontics, we work within this subspecialty of orthodontics to offer multidisciplinary treatments to our patients.
What is Craniofacial Orthopedics?
As a subspecialty of orthodontics, craniofacial orthopedics involves rehabilitating the head and neck regions affected by disability, disease, and trauma. When these concerns happen, it’s essential to seek orthodontic treatment, as it can provide your child with life-altering benefits that impact their physical and emotional well-being. By combining orthodontics, dentistry, head and neck oncology, and reconstruction techniques, Dr. Kuzmic is experienced and confident when working with patients that require additional care and can effectively treat complex conditions of the face and jaw.
Some common congenital and developmental conditions that affect the mouth area include:
- Cleft Lip: Cleft lips are openings in the lip, often due to incomplete development during the early stages of pregnancy.
- Cleft Palate: Similar to a cleft lip, cleft palates are opening in the roof of the mouth, often caused by an incomplete development during the early stages of pregnancy.
- Hypodontia: Hypodontia is where the child is born with missing teeth and normally occurs with cleft lips or cleft palates.
- Hyperdontia: Extra teeth grow in the mouth, also called supernumerary teeth, growing anywhere along the jawline and usually occur with other craniofacial conditions.
We offer various treatments that consider each person’s complete spectrum of needs. These treatments include:
- Nasoalveolar Molding: For newborns with cleft deformities, NAM is a nonsurgical technique that molds the soft tissues of the lip and nose to decrease their deformities and help close the lip area, decreasing scar formation and improving their appearance.
- Phase I Dental Braces: By coordinating with your primary care providers, pediatricians, and surgeons, our team can provide Phase I dental braces to your child to manage bone defects throughout the jawline and prepare for bone grafts and retainers to help maintain your child’s oral health.
- Phase II and III Dental Braces: Teenagers and adults faced with craniofacial deformities can benefit from Phase II and III braces to help reposition the teeth and align them with the jawbone. Combined approaches with orthodontics and surgery are usually recommended during these stages to help correct teeth positions and finalize the bite.
Through orthodontic care, we can help you or your child receive the best aesthetic results and rehabilitate from their conditions by changing their bite growth and improving their quality of life.
Why Choose Kuzmic Orthodontics for Craniofacial Orthopedics?
At Kuzmic Orthodontics, early diagnosis is the best way to prevent potential problems later in life. We work to provide a crucial role in providing your family with routine orthodontic care. Dr. Kuzmic can provide orthodontic care that extends beyond your basic needs, offering valuable advice and a compassionate outlook for your oral health. Schedule a consultation with us to learn more and see how we can transform your smile today.