What is pre-orthodontic trainer?

I. What is pre-orthodontic trainer? (A review of orthodontic trainer)

The pre-orthodontic trainer is one of the most commonly used dental devices to redirect the growth of both primary teeth for kids and permanent teeth for adults and stabilize their functions of correct swallowing and breathing during orthodontic treatment. It’s a dental positioner of correcting these improper habits that cause the malocclusion. It’s very effective in the early mixed dentition for tooth eruption guidance and correction of myofunctional habits.

The pre-orthodontic trainer acts as a support in the process of orthodontic treatment with braces and produces a correct jaw position by a combination of preventing mouth breathing and tongue thrusting.

II. What is pre orthodontic treatment?

There’re some common reasons for the teeth being crowed and jaws being underdeveloped, such as mouth breathing instead of nose breathing, wrong tough habits, and negative influence of lips, and so on.

The intention of pre orthodontic treatment is to detect some orthodontic problems when it’s easy to handle them at an early stage. The potential problems of jaw growth and bite problems can be found and it helps dentists take effective measures much earlier.

Before the problems get more serious, it offers chances and time for orthodontists to handle the treatment. The problems can be stopped before the permanent teeth grow improperly and need to be taken out finally. For kids, the milk teeth are not that stable yet. The proper pre orthodontic treatment by dental professionals can help adjust the structure of the teeth and jaw.

There’re three stages for the pre orthodontic treatment, namely the Planning Stage, Active Stage, and Retention Stage.

Dental treatment for kids should be done in their young ages. Orthodontists suggest that the best age for an orthodontic treatment should be 8 to 10 years old. In that period, the kids usually have a combination of milk teeth and permanent teeth.

III. Structure of the Orthodontic Trainer

There’re four main parts of the Orthodontic Trainer, namely lip board, tongue pusher, dental arch groove and tongue board.

A. Lip Board

It helps straighten the teeth effectively.

B. Tongue Pusher

It helps correct tough pushing and prevents teeth malposition

C. Dental Arch Groove

It helps improve the teeth arrangement by following the principle of bidirectional mechanics.

D. Tongue Tag.

It helps improve the myofunctional habits by holding the tongue back and make it stay in the roof of the mouth.

IV. Orthodontic trainer for adults

Though it’s kids or teenagers that usually get orthodontic treatments, it’s still significant for those adults that have teeth improperly aligned but failed in getting their teeth adjusted at their young ages to get orthodontic treatments, too.

Compared with wearing metal braces, the plastic or silicone orthodontic trainer is a better choice for adults that are busy in daily work but don’t want mental braces to straighten their teeth.

The orthodontic trainer for adults is designed to correct the orthodontic problems by taking part in the myofunction treatment causes in the process of aligning the teeth. 

For adults’ patients, the active involvement is essential during the treatment. Regular visits to orthodontists or dentists is needed. The period of treatment can be as long as 8 months or a year. Besides, the practice of speech and chewing muscles should be done for at least few minutes per day.

The ideal shape of dental arch is meant to offer little forces to front teeth and help them grow naturally.

The bumpers play an important role in aligning the lower front teeth by relaxing the hyperactive muscles around the mouth

The tongue tag guides the tongue to rest in the suitable place and thus indirectly expands the upper jaw arch.   

The trainers should be put on for one hour per day, as well as sleep at night.

A better bite performance is available after orthodontic treatment. Teeth will suit better and potential risks of oral cases can be much avoided, like tooth decay, gum disease and difficulty in chewing.

V. Orthodontic trainer for kids

According to the medical research, most kids have a problem of malocclusion. For parents, healthy growth and development is the critical concern. Therefore, the myofunctional correction and treatment of malocclusion for kids is essentials for most parents.

The pre-orthodontic trainer shouldn’t be used while swallowing. This part may be very hard for kids, as kids are easy to get hungry and can’t help eating. Parents should witness on their kids and help them correct oral bad habits while they’re wearing the trainer.

The use of the trainer should be under dentist’s or orthodontist’s supervision, especially for kids. Regular check by dentists or orthodontists is a necessity.

It has been proved by many young users that the trainer works well to get their teeth adjusted while the permanent ones are still growing. In this way, the growth of teeth is adjusted to be in the right direction.

VI. Benefits of Using a Pre-Orthodontic Trainer (Pre orthodontic trainer uses)

A pre-orthodontic trainer can help young kids form good habits for the teeth, tongue, and lips. Structural benefits can be available for children wearing pre-orthodontic trainers. It also helps a lot to kids with incorrect tooth alignment.

6.1 Correct tooth alignment

There’s a good chance for orthodontists to adjust the tooth alignment for kids who begin to grow new permanent teeth. The standardized tooth channels and labial bows of pre-orthodontic trainer can form the new permanent teeth into right position in the beginning. The treatment will lay the foundation of correct tooth alignment.

6.2 Tongue Placement

Tongue placement is important to dental hygiene and breathing habits. In accordance with medical investigation in dental practice, the tongue should be naturally placed behind the upper teeth. But there’re some kids that fail having the right placement.

With the help of pre-orthodontic trainer, the tongue can be guided to the right rest position until it can be naturally placed.

6.3 Training Mouth Muscles

Under the guided of pre-orthodontic trainer, lip muscles can be trained for proper movement. The lip guard of the trainer can help hold the lips in right positions and reduce excessive motion.

VII. Procedures of using pre-orthodontic trainer

7.1 Proper Placement

After putting the pre-orthodontic trainer into your mouth, place the tongue on the tongue tag of the trainer. Use your nose to breathe while keeping lips closed. To get the feeling of teeth correction, you should gently bite the trainer and move your tongue slightly.

7.2 Usage Time

Wear the trainer for an hour each day and when you sleep. Use your nose to breathe only. The treatment time should be implemented under the guide of dentists or orthodontists. Usually, a minimum treatment period of 6-12 months is needed.

7.3 Cleaning and Storage of the Trainer

The trainer may smell bad after being put in the mouth overnight. You need to clean the Trainer completely with clean water (warm running water if possible) or recommended cleaning agent.

Dry and keep it in a proper storage box, like denture box.

7.4 Potential Risks

During the orthodontic treatment, it’s usual that the patient's teeth may become slightly sensitive in the early stages of treatment.

However, if your jaw joints have too much pain, you can shorten the usage time and recover the treatment time after anesis.