What we traditionally think of as orthodontics is the placement of braces for the straightening of crowded and crooked teeth. As valuable a tool as braces can be, they do have their limitations. While they can straighten teeth, they can not deal effectively with many of the problems that accompany crowded and crooked teeth.
Generally these problems are a reflection of disharmony in the balance, posture, and function of the body. They may include distortions in the shape and alignment of the jaw bones, as well as alignment of the bones of the face, head, neck, shoulders, and the rest of the body. The problems created by the misalignment of the structures of the body can be associated with a broad range of seemingly unrelated health conditions. These health conditions may include head, neck, or back pain, ringing in the ears, learning disabilities, scoliosis, hormonal irregularities (PMS), digestive problems, and many others.
As the Twig Is Bent, So Grows the Tree;A strain or distortion of the skull during birth, associated with strains of the connective tissue envelope of the body, can cause self perpetuating imbalances that are maintained throughout life. As a child develops these can manifest as distortions of the jaw with crowding or misalignment of the teeth. These imbalances can be seen in the posture of the child as well as in the symmetry of the child’s face
In an adult these strains can express themselves in different ways. Often the strain patterns that have arisen as a result of disturbances in growth and development are compounded by changes introduced to the mouth by dental care performed inappropriately.
In the case of the chronic pain patient who may have had a history of trauma, it has been recognized that the body will maintain patterns of strain which occurred at the time of injury for years. When the patient has involvement of the jaw it is important for the bite to be corrected along with the release of distortions within the body through manual medicine, such as Cranial-Sacral Therapy, Osteopathy or specialized forms of Chiropractic care.
A Little Bit of History;
Orthodontics in this country has evolved with a focus on the development of braces attached to the teeth, with all their limitations, while in Europe there was great interest in the development of removable appliances to guide the growth and development of the jaw structures. This has given rise to the specialized field of Oro-facial Orthopedics. The integration of the benefits of this work with what had previously been available in the US has taken place over the last twenty years or so. Despite all the advances made, there were still limits to how effectively we could correct some of the distortions generated by nature gone astray. Dentistry had to first begin to consider the relationships between the mouth and the rest of the body
As our understanding of the holistic nature of the human body has evolved, we have come to appreciate the profound interrelations between the mouth and the rest of the body. We now understand how the body is affected by stress and trauma and how dysfunction of any part of the body affects the whole.
State of the art: Dental Somatic Integration
Today, a new field is evolving called Dental Somatic Integration that draws upon all the advances made previously in Orthodontics & Oral-Facial Orthopedics, combining this knowledge with an understanding of how the body works. In this new field which provides an answer to many different health problems, we work closely on your behalf with other practitioners, in fields such as chiropractic, osteopathy, medicine, physical therapy, acupuncture, etc.
The recognition of the need to integrate the function of the mouth with the rest of the body has led to a third generation of orthodontic appliances that treat the distortions of the mouth in 3 dimensions- these appliances are called light-wire functionals (a.k.a. as "ALFS" )and have developed through the contributions of practitioners named Crozat, Kernot, Jecmen, Nordstrom and others. These appliances are fitted to the dental arches and apply a continuous gentle force to the teeth and the bones of the face and skull.
These appliances have three primary functions; 1st correct distortions of the skull, 2nd to correct distortions of the upper jaw, and 3rd to correct misalignments of the upper and lower teeth. In the process of doing this the muscles of the face, head, and neck are brought into balance and harmony.
This appliance is fitted to the teeth of the upper jaw and is being used to restore balance to the bones in the skull, at the same time it is being used to promote full development of the upper arch
"By restoring balance to the body of a growing
child, they are freed to become all they are capable of being with out physical and
functional limitations they may previously been confronted with. In the same
manner adults can become free of chronic pain or other associated health problems, as the
recipients of the benefits
of Dental Somatic Integration."