The relationship between the teeth and the body is complex, but from the osteopathic point of view, any dental issue has implications for the whole body, as the teeth are an important part of the body structure.
The relationship of the jaw with the rest of the head determines the size of the airway. If the jaw is back further than it should be, then a patient may be predisposed to snoring, sleep apnoea, and a host of other lifelong diseases that result from poor tissue oxygenation. Working with an osteopath as part of early interceptive dental treatments will help to optimize the airway while at the same time straightening the teeth and aligning the bite.
What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a manual therapy, utilising hands-on techniques to both identify and treat restrictions in the body. Osteopaths focus on how the skeleton, joints, muscles, nerves, circulation, connective tissue and internal organs function as a holistic unit.
Osteopathy for infants and children is grounded in a sound knowledge of normal healthy growth and development parameters and optimal function of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
Osteopathic treatment of children, therefore, is concerned with early identification of suboptimal growth patterns and treating these to improve musculoskeletal growth and development outcomes.
Osteopathy and Dentistry for Your Child
As your child begins their early orthodontic treatment at Braceless Choice, they will receive a number of osteopathic consults built into their treatment plan.
The reason for this is that over time, the posture of a child’s head, neck and spine can affect the posture of the jaw, the tongue and the way the bones of the face grow. Residual affects of birth strain, childhood injuries and falls, and poor habits such as thumb or finger sucking, nail biting or mouth breathing, are examples that can potentially affect a child’s current posture and hence development of the jaws and ultimately the position of the teeth.
An osteopath is trained to examine, assess, identify and treat the musculoskeletal components of a growing child. Identifying any subtle postural issues and treating them early can compliment and enhance the progress of the dental treatment plan.
Osteopathic treatment is safe, gentle and effective and it does not involve any joint manipulation.