By: Dr. Elizabeth Eggert
How did this start?
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! This month, we’re proud to highlight our Patient of the Month – Nathaniel! Nathaniel is now 8 years old and has been part of our dental family for several years. During his initial visit, at age 5, mom wanted to know if anything could be done about the crowding Nathaniel had with his lower permanent teeth, which were starting to erupt. Dr. Jeff Eggert thought it would be a good idea to see what Nathaniel looked like at his next 6-month check-up appointment to see how he would grow. Unfortunately, Nathaniel had minimal growth in this period and there would be no room for his next set of permanent lower teeth to come in. Early detection and intervention is key to working with patients like Nathaniel so Dr. Jeff sent Nathaniel to Dr. Brian DeVoe of DeVoe Orthodontics for an evaluation.
What was recommended?
Dr. DeVoe wasn’t sure that he could successfully do anything orthodontically for Nathaniel yet since his permanent molars weren’t erupted. He talked with the family about the option to extract some primary (baby) teeth so the permanent teeth would have space to erupt.
Nathaniel’s mom is very progressive and she wondered if that was the only option. She really wanted to help with Nathaniel’s growth and development. Dr. Jeff then asked Dr. Elizabeth Eggert for help as she has had success bringing children like Nathaniel through Myobrace Therapy.
At Eggert Family Dentistry, we pride ourselves on bringing “Dentistry for a Lifetime of Smiles” to all our patients. This means that we spend extra time with our smallest patients looking for any clues that growth and development is not occurring ideally at every one of their visits.
For Nathaniel, he had some indications of an underdeveloped airway, which will often lead to a small oral space (small mouth) and crowding. Nathaniel specifically was showing under developed upper and lower jaws, tilted head and shoulders, long/thick eyelashes, a deep bite, excessive gingival display, mouth breathing, a tongue tie, straining with swallowing, snoring, tossing and turning during sleep, sweating at night, waking up a funny position, chronic allergies, chronic runny nose, and the tendency to interrupt. There are so many “red-flags” for interruptions to growth and so many of them aren’t familiar to the general population. We work hard to educate all of the parents in our practice so they can help make the best decisions for their kids.
What was involved?
Myobrace Therapy is great for early intervention and for some people, it can even help decrease time in orthodontics or eliminate the need for orthodontics all together! Myobrace is built on the idea that muscle function is critical in jaw development. It is designed to support proper jaw development, encourage healthy oral habits, create space for developing teeth, and promote better airway support and function. There are many appliances available to train the muscles and therefore develop the oral cavity. The treatment requires commitment at home, follow-up visits with Dr. Elizabeth Eggert, and takes time during growth.
For Nathaniel, his jaw was so small that we started with the “Infant Trainer” appliance. The appliances are prefabricated, soft, flexible, and with special design features for training the tongue and lip for ideal positioning. Myobrace can also be used to help children correct habits like mouth breathing, thumb sucking, and tongue thrusting. Myobrace works the patient through a series of similar, yet more rigid appliances that encourage growth and development.
Nathiel wore his Myobrace every night and a few hours each day. He worked on tongue, cheek, and lip muscle exercises each night with his father. He came to visit with Dr. Elizabeth about every 3-4 months and through the course of 12 months, changing to the next appliance when appropriate, we saw significant growth in Nathaniel’s mouth – he even had enough room for his teeth to grow in – without extractions!
What does he think?
Nathaniel found it very easy to wear the appliances and he was very committed and compliant. This makes for the most successful Myobrace outcome!
What does his mom think?
Nathaniel’s mother admitted to us that she was a little skeptical before starting Myobrace Therapy and she wasn’t sure it would work. “I didn’t have much knowledge about the theory behind it, so there was definitely some uncertainty.” She wanted Nathaniel to avoid extractions at his young age and she wanted to keep his visits to the dentist easy and successful so that motivated her to commit to the treatment.
After completing the process, she says she would absolutely recommend it. “The whole experience was a learning process for us – understanding what was going on and how it works. I now realize that my uncertainty was just a lack of knowledge. I understand that it works with the muscles, and we had to do our part with the exercises.”
When we asked what she would say to friends or family with similar conditions she said, “I would say try it and do your best to follow the instructions. It works with natural growth, which is a big plus. It’s especially good for young children.”
Interceptive treatment like Myobrace Therapy can make a tremendous difference in a child’s life. Nathaniel did an outstanding job and had an amazing outcome! Thank you for putting your trust in us. We look forward to working with Nathaniel and his family for many years to come!
At Eggert Family Dentistry, we’re passionate about helping our patients achieve healthy, confident smiles. We would love the opportunity to answer your questions and discuss whether Myobrace Therapy is right for anyone in your life.
