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Functional Orthodontics in Calgary

While most of us are familiar with orthodontics (including braces, Invisalign, retainers, and other orthodontic appliances), many of us may not have heard of functional orthodontics.

What Are Functional Orthodontics?

Like traditional orthodontics, functional orthodontics uses appliances to straighten our teeth. However, functional orthodontics is also used to address jaw problems, including bite misalignments.

A weak chin or misaligned jaw can affect not only your bite, but also cause a variety of other health problems including TMJ, sleep apnea and other airway obstruction problems, neck and shoulder pain, migraines, and hearing problems.

While traditional orthodontics straighten our teeth by gently pulling on crowded teeth, functional orthodontics focuses on the jaw, expanding it to create more room for teeth. Widening the upper or lower jaw not only creates a more balanced facial profile; it can also help expand your sinuses, correcting breathing problems such as sleep apnea.

Though some traditional orthodontic appliances (such as Invisalign) can be removed, functional orthodontic appliances are not, and need to be kept in place for a specified time frame for you to achieve the desired results.

Who Can Benefit From Functional Orthodontics?

The Canadian Association of Orthodontists recommends that children be screened by the age of 7 or 8 to ensure they aren’t too old for functional orthodontics to be effective.

If your child suffers from sleep apnea, TMJ, neck and shoulder pain, or hearing problems, they may benefit from the use of functional orthodontics.

For more information, please speak to your child’s dentist during their next appointment.