HEALTH & FITNESSJULY 2019 147#3
“At what age should
I take my child
for a check-up with an
orthodontic specialist?”
According to American-trained orthodontist
DR CATHERINE LEE, screening should be
done by the age of seven because that’s when
the first adult teeth come through. The first
permanent molars and incisors have usually
come in by then, and cross-bites, crowding
and injury-prone dental protrusions can
be evaluated. Any other oral habits such as
thumb-sucking can also be assessed at that
time, she says.“Baby teeth take six years to fall
out completely, so between the ages of six and
12 years, there’s lots of growing happening.
There are many issues that can arise if the jaw
doesn’t grow properly, with over-bites, cross-
bites and under-bites the most common of
these,” says Dr Lee. “Sometimes the adult tooth
buds won’t be in the right position or can even
be missing. Therefore, early screening allows
for early interceptive work that will minimise
complications in the future.”
In the meantime, she says it’s important
to look out for any of the following signs:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty in chewing or biting
- Teeth out of alignment
- Teeth not meeting normally
- Lower jaw that shifts sideways when closing
- Thumb- or finger-sucking
- Breathing through the mouth
- Biting the inner cheek or the roof
of the mouth - Jaws and teeth that are out of proportion
to the rest of the face
#4
“What are the advantages of
Invisalign for teens and tweens?”
Instead of wires and brackets, Invisalign straightens the teeth
with a series of perfectly clear, virtually invisible, custom-made
and removable aligners, says Dr Lee. “For its practical and
aesthetic advantages, almost every one of my adult patients
chooses this option,” she says. “Then came the innovative
Invisalign Teen with some special teen-friendly features.
And now, there’s the ground-breaking new Invisalign with
mandibular advancement, which promises to correct jaw
growth issues in tweens and teens. It’s a breakthrough for Class
II correction of a slow-growing lower jaw.”
Instead of traditional orthodontic correction with bulky
and uncomfortable devices, it works to expand the arches by
means of two interlocking “precision wings” on the aligners
that engage in a way that gently corrects the bite over time,
explains Dr Lee. What’s more, they allow the child to talk
clearly and normally.
“Best of all, we can now straighten the teeth at the same
time as fixing the growth issue,” says Dr Lee. “This can shorten
the treatment period by around six months, saving time and
reducing costs.”Dr Catherine Lee Orthodontics
Level 36 (Penthouse), Income @ Raffles (Office Tower)
Precision wings 16 Collyer Quay | 6835 9571 | drcatherineleeorthodontics.com