Trauma to Baby Teeth Causes Spotting on Adult Teeth

Do you or your children have white or yellow-brown spots on the enamel of your front teeth (incisors)? Do you ever wonder what caused them? A recent study in the journal Dental Traumatology helps explain. From this study looking at more than 5000 sets of patient records it appears that these markings on the teeth are most likely the result of traumatic injuries to the front baby teeth (primary incisors) and usually occurs before the child is three years old. Although this information doesn’t help with prevention or treatment of such injuries, it at least helps explain why these white or yellow-brown spots occur.

If you have any questions regarding dental injuries, braces or Invisalign in Phoenix, please call the Dunn Orthodontics location closest to you. Dr. Matthew Dunn and Dr. Courtney Dunn would be happy to discuss your concerns with you.

What is the best treatment option for an impacted 2nd molar?

Orthodontists are occasionally presented with the challenge of bringing in an impacted maxillary (upper) or mandibular (lower) 2nd molar. The main options for treating these impacted teeth are to have the tooth surgically uncovered with or without orthodontic treatment, extract the impacted tooth and hope the 3rd molar erupts into its position, or do nothing. A recent article in The Angle Orthodontist showed that the highest rate of success was with the combination of surgical exposure and orthodontic treatment with a success rate of about 70%. The option of extracting the impacted 2nd molar and hoping the 3rd molar will erupt into position had the lowest success rate (11%).
Given the relatively poor success rate of bringing impacted 2nd molars into the proper position, it is fortunate that impactions of 2nd molars are not very common. If you have questions regarding dental impactions or any other orthodontic problems, call the Dunn Orthodontics office closest to you today to discuss your concerns with Dr. Matthew Dunn or Dr. Courtney Dunn.

Thumb Sucking

Does your child suck his or her thumb? A recent study in the European Journal of Orthodontics showed that about one third of four year old children suck their thumb. By the time these kids are six years old, half of them will quit. Why are orthodontists so concerned about thumb sucking habits? Thumb sucking often results in an anterior open bite and a posterior crossbite. An anterior open bite means that the upper and lower front teeth do not touch each other. A posterior crossbite means that the upper jaw is too narrow for the lower jaw resulting in the upper teeth not fitting properly with the lower teeth.
The good news is that by discontinuing the thumb sucking habit, the anterior open bite will frequently correct itself. The bad news is that the posterior crossbite will not self correct and will inevitably require orthodontic treatment.
There are many ways to help your child stop sucking their thumb including a few early orthodontic appliances that can help. If you have questions about thumb sucking or its effects on your child’s bite, call the Phoenix orthodontist or Litchfield Park orthodontist to schedule a free consultation.

2010 Invisalign Preferred Providers

Drs. Matthew and Courtney Dunn were recently named 2010 Invisalign Preferred Providers. Invisalign awards Preferred Provider status based on overall experience with Invisalign as well as completing Invisalign continuing education requirements.

Prior to this year, any orthodontist or dentist that took a one day course was considered Invisalign certified. This policy resulted in thousands of dentists and orthodontists heavily advertising their Invisalign prowess even though many of these doctors only treated 1-2 Invisalign cases a year. With Invisalign's new requirements, a dentist or orthodontist must start at least 10 Invisalign cases per year and complete 10 hours of Invisalign continuing education. If a dentist or orthodontist does not reach these minimum requirements, they will no longer be able to use the Invisalign product.

What does this mean for patients? The bad news is that there are less dentists and orthodontists that can provide Invisalign services to you. The good news is that those Invisalign providers that remain are those with the most experience.

If you have questions about Invisalign or any other orthodontic service, contact Dunn Orthodontics to schedule a free consultation.