How Can Conservative Care Influence Orthodontics

Conservative care is a term often quoted by orthodontists alike, but what does it truly mean? Orthodontics is more than braces, as it focuses on the growth and development of the jawbone and makes recommendations for treatment based on those changes. However, within conservative care, treatment options focus on either minimally invasive to non-invasive procedures that help correct orthodontic problems such as tooth misalignment. 

What Does Conservative Care Look Like? 

Conservative care avoids highly invasive procedures, such as tooth extractions, to be able to correct common dental problems faced today. This often means finding alternative options for treating common tooth problems such as bruxism, misaligned jaws, and overcrowding for orthodontists. Conservative treatment focuses on finding the least invasive solution that can help treat various dental problems, which involves using diagnostics to narrow down what treatments would work best. 

In orthodontics, conservative treatments often work best in children and young adults due to their growth patterns and also work for those who don’t wish to choose orthodontic surgery. In these cases, it highly depends on the person’s age, dental health, and other needs of the patient to be able to determine whether or not surgical or conservative treatments options will be needed. So what are the most common conservative treatments used by orthodontists? These treatment options include: 

• Metal or Ceramic Braces: Metal braces can work to align the teeth over time without the use of surgical methods and are considered one of the safest methods for correcting misaligned teeth. In moderate to severe malocclusion cases, metal or ceramic braces are considered a conservative method for treatment. 
• Invisalign: Invisalign is also considered a conservative treatment because of its ability to correct minor cases of malocclusion without the need for surgery. As one of the most popular services for teenagers and young adults, Invisalign is a removable, easily adjustable form of retainers that can correct misaligned teeth over time at affordable costs. 
• Palatal Expanders: For those with exceedingly small upper palates, expanders are the nonsurgical solution. Small palates are often an issue faced by children and can cause misaligned teeth over time if not treated. Palatal expanders can expand the upper palette without the need for surgical methods and thus are considered a safe alternative. 
• Face masks: In some cases, orthodontic face masks can be used to pull at the upper jaw to put it in the correct position, utilizing metal bands fastened to the upper back teeth to provide the applied force needed for correcting malocclusion. While not considered the most popular method, it can sometimes be used for patients’ jaws that have a poor underbite or upper bite structure. 

Why Choose a Conservative Treatment Orthodontist
Finding an orthodontist specializing in conservative treatment can assure you that you’re getting the best possible treatment. Because of the time and care it takes to invest in conservative treatment, orthodontics working with conservative methods care about the integrity of your mouth and want to make sure that you have the best results possible. Visiting an orthodontist today can help you avoid unnecessary surgeries and provide you with a smile you'll enjoy having.