Facial Orthopedics & Controlled Arch Orthodontics

At Boisson Dental Group, we are concerned not only with the health of your teeth, but whole body wellness. We know that problems with development of the jaws or issues with your airways can result in orthodontic problems as well as contribute to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and jaw joint issues (TMJ) which affect the health of your whole body.

By monitoring how our young patients breathe and swallow we can catch problems early. If necessary, steps can be taken to change bad habits with exercises or appliances. By doing this, we can help to direct the growth of the jaws and face in favourable direction, with the hope of preventing the development of orthodontic problems.

Epigenetic orthodontics treats the whole face, not just the teeth. It uses epigenetic science to trigger jaw development and remodeling in order to overcome deficient growth patterns that exist. Children have growth centers in the face and jaws that are active and available for stimulation. The orthodontic effect of harnessing growth can produce the most beneficial results. We would prefer to evaluate children around the ages of five to six-years-old. If unwanted or deficient growth tendencies are discovered, growth guidance orthodontics can be used to correct the trajectory of growth. Using a comfortable appliance that stimulates an area on the palate, this causes the entire midface including the upper jaw to remodel. The appliance stimulates growth for children. This will then have dramatic benefits on the face and airways. If treatment is deferred until all the adult teeth have erupted, facial growth potential is greatly reduced. It is important to note that remodeling of the jaws is something that can be done at any age, but for the most ideal result, harnessing growth and remodeling before puberty is best.

The Removable Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance (RAGGA) is used to help develop the Naso-facial area and upright the lower jaw ramus through remodeling. It also helps to develop the upper jaw three dimensionally, creating a positive effect on the airway and much more. The appliance itself is made of acrylic and metal clasps which fit comfortably on the roof of the mouth. There are small screws built into the appliance that would be turned over a period of time to activate the appliance.

Facial Orthopedics involves the use of appliances to change the position of the bones of the face relative to one another to improve the function of the jaws and appearance of the face. In some instances, adult orthopedics can  improve or eliminate TMJ dysfunction, some headache problems, or obstructive sleep apnea.

Controlled Arch Orthodontics © is a patented system of orthodontic care that was developed by Dr. Steve Gallela and differs from standard straight wire orthodontics.
Regular orthodontics usually involves the removal of teeth and realigning of the remaining teeth into the space made. Controlled Arch Orthodontics differs in that it creates space by making the dental arches larger to the patient’s genetic potential. This results in larger, fuller smiles and healthy bites and jaw joints.