Why Parents Love the Myobrace System

Crooked teeth, also known as malocclusion, seems to be an epidemic in children and teens. It often develops early on in childhood, but parents can educate themselves on the early warning signs and what type of treatment options can address poor oral habits triggering malocclusion. 

Early orthodontic treatment is extremely valuable for reversing and preventing severe malocclusion in children. When early orthodontic care is established before permanent damage has occurred, it can prevent the need for braces in the future or reduce treatment time if braces are still necessary. Most importantly, early orthodontic treatment can fix issues that cannot be fixed later when the jaw matures.

What causes crooked teeth, bad bites, and similar issues?

Many factors can contribute to a child developing crooked teeth or a less-than-ideal bite alignment. Genetics, mouth breathing, pediatric sleep apnea, sleep-disordered breathing, and poor nutrition are just a few examples.

Many of these causes can’t be avoided, but there are some things parents can do to reduce the risks of their child developing malocclusion. Provide your child with a nutritious diet, wean them from bottle or pacifier use at an appropriate age, and seek help if you notice signs of mouth breathing or tongue thrusting. Myofunctional therapy is a wonderful solution for treating poor oral habits in children of all ages, including babies and toddlers.

When should I be concerned about my baby’s crooked teeth?

Crooked baby teeth aren’t always an immediate cause for concern. Your baby’s first few teeth might look a little crooked, especially the two front teeth. This is normal and doesn’t necessarily mean your child will develop crooked adult teeth.

Instead of worrying about how straight your child’s baby teeth look right now, focus on oral habits and signs of a bad bite. For example, if your child is nearing the age of four or five and you’re seeing signs of mouth breathing, sleep-disordered breathing, tongue thrusting, or thumbsucking, they may have a myofunctional disorder that could cause bite alignment issues requiring orthodontic care. Similarly, an early evaluation with a dentist is important if your baby or child has an underbite, overbite, or crossbite.

It’s important to have an orthodontic evaluation done by your child’s seventh birthday, but an earlier visit is strongly recommended if you notice your child developing a lot of crowding, overlapping, or bad bite alignment, even if they are still very young. When in doubt, booking an appointment and having a dentist take a look is always the best option.

What is the Myobrace system, and how does it work?

The Myobrace system is a remarkable form of early orthodontic treatment that’s non-invasive, comfortable, and highly effective at correcting myofunctional disorders in children and young teens.

While many forms of early orthodontic treatment involve semi-permanent metal expanders and similar devices, Myobrace relies on a series of removable intraoral appliances that look similar to mouthguards. There are four stages in the Myobrace System, which is represented by four different appliances: habit correction, arch development, dental alignment, and retention. Your child will wear their Myobrace every night while they sleep and an hour or two during the day.

Rather than treating malocclusions after they’ve already developed, Myobrace focuses on fixing the underlying problems before damage occurs. It specifically targets myofunctional disorders that lead to bad bites and crooked teeth. A few examples of these myofunctional disorders include mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, poor tongue posture, weak jaw posture, and other habits that can impede the proper growth and development of a child’s smile.

In addition to wearing the Myobrace appliances, your child will need to follow a series of myofunctional therapy exercises to complement the treatment and ensure permanent changes occur. You’ll learn these exercises too, so you can guide your child through practicing them at home.

Future orthodontic care in the form of braces or clear aligners may be necessary if the Myobrace appliances aren’t worn for the appropriate amount of time or if your child or teen has a complex malocclusion. Myobraces for Braces is an additional option that helps shorten treatment time for children or teens who need the power of braces to move their teeth.

What are the benefits of the Myobrace system?

There are several exciting and unique benefits to Myobrace treatment! Because the system combines oral appliances with myofunctional exercises, children can achieve much more with Myobrace than with myofunctional therapy alone. 

Your child will learn how to breathe properly through their nose, swallow using the right muscles, and adopt the correct resting tongue position. The program will not only help correct damaging oral habits, but it will also encourage healthy jaw growth, improve their face shape and development as they mature, and allow teeth to come through in a straighter alignment.

The Myobrace system even provides dietary education to help families learn more about food’s impact on oral health. 

Remember that gaining all possible benefits from Myobrace treatment relies heavily on cooperation from children and their parents. Children need to be compliant in wearing their Myobrace appliance as recommended, and parents must be available to offer supervision to ensure it happens. 

How do I know if Myobrace is right for my child?

The only way to know if Myobrace is the right solution for your child is through an in-person evaluation with an experienced dentist.

During the evaluation, the dentist will closely examine your child’s smile and assess their X-rays to see how it’s developing. X-rays are an especially important step in an early orthodontic evaluation as it gives a detailed view of what’s happening under the surface of your child’s smile. 

If Myobrace is the ideal treatment option, great! If not, the dentist will recommend an alternative treatment option, such as a palatal expander, that will be effective for your child’s needs.

Learn more about Myobrace and early orthodontic treatment options at King Dental.

Dr. King and his team provide comprehensive, gentle dental care for all ages, including children who need early orthodontic treatment. If your child’s teeth look crooked or they’re due for their first orthodontic evaluation, we’re ready to help. Take a moment today to call our Virginia Beach office or use this online form to book a visit and put your worries to rest.