PREFACE
Interceptive Orthodontics is a book which belongs in the library of every practitioner who treats children, including all orthodontists and pediatric dentists, :because it not only is one of the most complete and comprehensive descriptions of the dentofacial problems encountered in growing children but also offers applicable solutions to these problems.
It is written by a group of clinicians with vast experience and a passion for their subject matter and is the product of years of collaboration. Their approach is global emphasizing psychological as well as physiological development and the important role that function plays in normal and abnormal development.
The book is organized well and includes chapters on growth and development, the interrelationships between orthodontics and pediatric dentistry, habits and respiration, the spectrum of malocclusions, craniomandibular disordes and periodontal considerations in growing individuals. The chapters are extremely thorough, informative and very well documented with pertinent illustrations and relevant literature. What, when and how to treat are clearly defined and superbly illustrated with many clinical examples. Conditions that should not be treated are also specified. Particular emphasis is placed on the timing of treatment, including the critical importance of interceptive treatment in a 2 phase treatment protocol. The authors offer their views concerning the extraction decision and, when discussing Class II malocclusion, introduce a tridimensional analysis of Class II malocclusion. In addition, important concepts such as a comparison of slow versus rapid expansion when correcting cross bites and the issue of gingival grafting when attached gingiva is absent are discussed in detail.
This book is a pleasure to read and will greatly benefit all who read it.
Prof. Anthony A. Gianelly D.M.D., Ph. D., M.D.
Professor and chairman Department of Orthodontics Boston University School of Dental Medicine Boston, Mass., U:S.A.
PREFACE TO THE ITALIAN EDITION
An invitation to write a preface to a textbook about Interceptive Orthodontics cannot fail to arouse the emotions and enthusiasm of someone whose clinical, academic and research experience has always been in this field. Emotion because I have been asked to do so, also on behalf of all the other coworkers by Prof. Caprioglio with whom I share a bond of friendship and respect established over the years through our shared belief in Dentistry in the developmental years. Enthusiasm because I believe there is a still need to speak out in defense of interceptive orthodontics and convinced that a high quality textbook is most definitely an effective weapon in carrying the argument forward.
The fact is that even though interceptive orthodontics had been the subject of discussion all over the world for decades now, and particularly in Europe, there are still two groups of equally committed supported and skeptics with opposed attitudes to the discipline.
I believe that at least one of the reason for this situation lies in the fact that to date a systematic to overall treatment of the interceptive orthodontics had been lacking, despite the fact that there is an abundance of high quality literature in the field, although limited to specific areas and presenting a fragmented description.
The general culture of orthodontics is divided in two more or less equal parts, that of pediatric dentistry and that of orthognathodontics, which, for cultural academic and managing reason, remain obstinately separated.
It is for this reason that I see the work of Damaso Caprioglio, Aurelio Levrini, Claudio Lanteri, Alberto Caprioglio and Luca Levrini, along with their contributors as a significant step towards overcoming this absurd dichotomy, being a book that is at once systematic, organic and complete.
I have often had the occasion to define interceptive orthodontics as “the identification, evaluation, control and neutralization of worsening factors of an initial malocclusion”.
This clearly require, knowledge of such factors, of growth patterns and a rational choice of diagnostic and therapeutic treatment procedures.
All of these are set forth in this publication, set in a finely crafted volume, so that if the above definition can be regarded as a “program” then this textbook can be seen as an irreplaceable “instrument” for its implementation.
Prof. Isabella Tollaro
Professor and chairman
Department of Orthodontics University of Florence, Italy
PRESENTATION TO THE ITALIAN EDITION
Dear Colleague,
Another Orthodontic textbook! Indeed so but a very special one.
The fact that the authors of this book have worked together both in clinical practice and as teachers clearly emerges from its pages as the team brings the experience of its senior members together with the enthusiasm of the young colleagues. The result is a book that puts an end to any borders between pediatric dentistry and orthodontics. The book’s chapters are organized according to the different clinical problems and illustrated by an excellent number of cases that provide the clinician with reference points for his every day practise and the young specialist with a chance to benefit from decades of experience through careful study of the cases presented here. The clinical documentation is presented in a clearly understandable and uniform way in all of the chapters
Avoid the temptation to dive straight in to a clinical chapter and lake the time to absorb the spirit of the introduction (pages 3 and 4) as expressed by the authors themselves.
Reading carefully this introduction, it is clear that the authors are mentally preparing us for an overall dental view that will enable us to more easily understand why functional analysis, for example, or age-related psychological parameters, or anatomical details on inspection of the oral cavity, are all so consistently emphasized in all kinds of situations. In each of the larger chapters skeletal problems, dental problems and functional and dysfunctional influences, are examined separately. This effort to clarify without over simplifying has the effect of putting the reader at this or her ease. Whatever the subject being dealt with in the various chapters, the differential diagnosis procedures evaluating the skeletal, dental and functional components through all age from 3 to 15 years, remain rigorously the same. When controversial treatments are broached, however, detailed discussion based on recent literature enables the reader to make choices, to weigh the pros and cons of one approach as against another. Sometimes it is the patient’s age that determines this or that treatment solution, while on the other hand the family, genetic or psychological context may mean that a particular treatment option is required. In any case this is not a book to be consulted like a collection of kitchen recipes!
The authors constantly call upon knowledge of craniofacial growth in the first and second stages of mixed dentition, as well as on clinical experience, in order to establish constant interaction between already acquired knowledge and the subject under discussion, assisted and illustrated by clinical cases.
It is worth making a few comments on each chapter single; chapter 2 presents an excellent review of growth mechanism theory for the nasal-maxillary complex and the mandible, while examining the different principles underlying the therapies that make use of this growth potential to obtain skeletal, dental and functional harmony. There should be no surprise on finding that chapter 3, on the role of pediatric dentistry in interceptive orthodontics, precedes the chapters predominantly dealing with orthodontics. Techniques of primary molar restoration, insofar as they maintain space for the permanent dentition, are fundamental to the discipline. All the factors leading to lack of space are individually considered. The treatment options available for space management in the posterior region, the proper exploitation of the lee-way space and posterior and anterior space maintainers all enable the clinical orthodontist to evaluate the fundamental role played by pediatric dentistry in keeping primary dentition intact up to the first stage of mixed one.
Chapter 4 reviews bad habits and respiration and provides excellent psychological analysis of the problem as well as a list of those numerous factors that are beyond the control of the orthodontist but can emerge through detailed anamnesis talking to parents and observing the child’s behaviour. There follows high quality illustrations showing ways in which it is possible to correct the consequences of thumb-sucking, atypical swallowing or lower lip interposition. The physiology of perioral musculature and the importance of dietary choices are dealt with in this chapter, while the influences of different types of breathing and breathing anomalies on skeletal morphology are also not overlooked.
Without in any way detracting from the importance of the other chapters, there is no doubt that chapter 5 is the key chapter in this book. In this chapter we are confronted with day to day Class I problems: do we, or do we not, extract permanent teeth? Should we employ rapid or slow expansion? Should we wait or intervene immediately? The importance of the principles of a logical and overland approach, complete diagnosis taking into account both skeletal and dental morphology, the assessment of etiological factors and the drawing up of a treatment plan suited to the patient’s age and dental development are all continuously stressed, while also emphasizing that even at that early stage the risk of relapse must be carefully evaluated.
Guided by numerous tables summarizing the subject, the reader feels at ease among all the multitude of clinical problems presented and the therapies proposed. This is also a chapter that clearly introduces the notion of two-phase treatment where the first, interceptive therapy, plays the principal role. For details of the second phase, occlusal finishing and the treatment of permanent dentition with multi-band appliances the reader is directed to a more specialized literature. For some readers it will perhaps be chapter 6 that will be considered the key chapter. “Interceptive therapy in Class II malocclusions”. Classification and interesting analysis of etiological factors clearly distinguish the three planes and present the clinical problems on the transverse, sagittal and vertical planes.
The choice of therapy will follow the logic of the overall scheme. The treatment options available are well illustrated by excellent case reports, in each case in relation to the patient’s age and the treatment do solution provided by remaining or predicted growth. The authors convincingly succeed in the chapter in focusing the importance of soft tissues and their functional importance in determining the hard tissue morphology. They remind us of the importance of psychological maturity and assessing the degree of cooperation that will be likely to be forthcoming from the patient, while putting forward alternative solutions requiring less patient compliance.
Chapter 7 deals with Class III malocclusions and once again functional analysis is very much in the foreground of the argument. If on the one hand we can all agree on the need to act early to correct cross bite in primary dentition as soon as it is observed, the author should be credited particularly on their analysis of Class III problems in the vertical plane. High or Low angle cases can lead to many shared of prognosis. In cases of maxillary retrusion or micromaxillia, a treatment plan involving forced expansion in association with a facemask for orthopedic traction has every chance of a successful outcome. Where, however, there is congenital and often hereditary mandibular skeletal protrusion, the courage must be found to forego interceptive treatment and take the traditional combined approach of orthodontics and maxillo-facial surgery after puberty. This is particularly true when confronted with a Class III with open skeletal bite. To summarize, interceptive treatment must be short, since if all the favorable factors are present good result will be obtained in a short treatment time. If, on the other hand, all the skeletal, hereditary and functional factors are unfavourable, any overtreatment should be avoided.
Chapters 8 and 9 are supplementary, but nevertheless important, chapters. Chapter 8 studied problems of pain and dysfunction and is certainly the hardest to digest! The authors remind us that the problem exists on what is truly a vast scale, pointing out that since 70% of Class III cases and 90% of patients with habits such as thumb-sucking and nail biting suffer from headaches, this aspect cannot be overlooked in an overall assessment of the patient. Clinical examination must be extended to include body posture, particular cervical muscles, and also the interaction between malocclusion and centric occlusion and postural balance when the lower jaw is at rest.
The book concludes with chapter 9. After an excellent anatomical review that familiarizes us with the differences between the periodontal areas of the child and those of the adult, the most commonly encountered clinical situations are discussed, i.e. loss of or marked reduction of the attached gingiva in ectopic eruptions of the lower incisor and the absence of attached gingiva where there is buccal eruption of the upper cuspids. Argument for and against mucogingival surgery are very well presented and illustrated by a number of clinical cases while never losing sight of the need for a very conservative approach: if the orthodontist moves an ectopically positioned tooth to a better position in the alveolar arch, surgery may be averted but if the damage is such that any movement entails a risk of aggravating the periodontal situation, preliminary surgery will be required. A selection of mucogingival surgical operations, involving flaps and grafts, gives the reader a good approach to all the treatment options as applied to specific clinical cases. The chapter also runs meticulously through questions of oral hygiene before the application of fixed appliances and during and after orthodontic treatments, while reflecting the author’s concern to view the patient’s clinical problems from an overall and holistic viewpoint. Dear Colleague, as I come to the end of this presentation, I have to say that I hope the reader gets as much pleasure out of reading this book as I have done. I would like to thank all the authors for the honor they have bestowed on me by asking me to write the presentation and would like to complement them for their extraordinary effort. The volume represents the coming together of fifty years of orthodontic experience and provides the overall view needed by the profession to best deal with the problems thrown up by pediatric dentistry and medicine in the new millennium. I thank the authors for making available to professionals a text-book that is such sincere, educational and stimulating.
Prof. Dr. J. P. Jobo
Former Professor and Chairman
Department of Orthodontics University of Geneva, Switzerland