What Is the Best Time for Orthodontic Treatment for a Growing Child in Daechi-dong?

If you are considering orthodontic treatment for growing children,

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic Growing-Period Orthodontics

Hello. I am Dr. Yoon Jeong-won, the representative director of Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong.

Do you happen to know the three things that many children nowadays do as a basic part of growing up? If you look around, there are quite a few children who regularly use orthokeratology lenses, growth hormone injections, and orthodontic treatment. Even children who are clearly tall sometimes receive growth hormone injections in order to grow as much as possible.

For treatments such as growth hormone injections and orthodontics, it is important to determine the proper timing in order to maximize their effectiveness, so accurately identifying when the peak growth period occurs can be very helpful.

Growth period

Children’s growth rate decreases after birth, and after passing through the prepubertal minimum growth period, they go through the pubertal peak growth period. During this time, various physical changes and rapid growth occur, which greatly affect the face and dentition. Therefore, this can have an important impact on orthodontic treatment planning.

This period occurs about two years earlier in girls than in boys. In general, the pubertal peak growth in girls begins at ages 10 to 12,

while in boys it begins about two years later, at ages 12 to 14, so boys and girls should be considered differently when choosing the timing of treatment.

It is reported that the peak growth period of the facial bones appears slightly later than, or around the same time as, the peak growth period for height, and mandibular growth continues later than maxillary growth.

Assessment of growth timing

The paper by Hägg (1982) assesses pubertal growth timing by comparing annual height growth.

In the graph above, the time when annual height growth increases by 10 mm from point A, where annual height growth is at its minimum, is the pubertal growth onset (ONSET),

and peak growth (PHV) is the time when annual growth is at its highest during puberty.

Pubertal growth completion (END) is defined as the first instance after reaching PHV when annual growth is 20 mm or less.

Around ages 10 to 11, the peak growth period begins, and growth continues for about five years after passing the peak growth period.

Pubertal growth is completed at about ages 13 to 14 for girls and about 15 to 17 for boys, which is about two years later for boys.

A convenient way for dentists to assess bone age is a radiograph of the hand and wrist. This method evaluates bone age by determining the skeletal maturity of the finger bones and wrist, and it is widely used because the X-ray procedure is simple and interpretation is easy.

Hägg judges growth timing according to the degree of ossification of the ulnar sesamoid next to the thumb bone, the middle finger, and the wrist bones.

Determining growth timing

In addition, the SMI method devised by Fishman selects six anatomical sites from the thumb, middle finger, ring finger, and wrist bones,

and evaluates pubertal growth across 11 skeletal maturation stages according to ossification and whether fusion has occurred at those sites.

Evaluation of pubertal growth

The most important factor in determining puberty is whether the sesamoid bone, shown at position 4 in the figure above, is present. If this bone is absent, it can be considered a prepubertal stage (before ONSET). If it was absent in the first image but appears in a later image, puberty has started and it can be considered to be before the peak growth period (ONSET-PHV). Also, since a girl’s first menstruation is reported to begin after the pubertal peak growth period, whether menstruation has started can also affect treatment planning for girls.

Therefore, in cases of Class II malocclusion with a small mandible (retrusive chin), it is advisable to begin the first phase of growth-based orthodontic treatment using accurate diagnosis such as hand-wrist radiographs around ages 10 to 11, before the pubertal peak growth period begins. (On the other hand, in cases showing Class III malocclusion with mandibular protrusion (prognathism), it is best to correct the crossbite as early as possible, around ages 6 to 7, when the permanent teeth begin to erupt.)

Please do not miss the appropriate timing for growth-guided orthodontic treatment through regular checkups, so that malocclusions that can be improved relatively easily with first-phase growth correction at the proper time do not end up progressing to jaw surgery because the timing was missed.

If you are choosing a dental clinic for orthodontic treatment, we recommend proceeding with a doctor who has plenty of experience.

Dr. Yoon Jeong-won, the representative director of Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, has devoted herself to orthodontic care for more than 16 years and has treated more than 6,000 diverse orthodontic cases to date. She is an orthodontic specialist and a PhD in dentistry from Yonsei University Dental Hospital, and also serves as a visiting professor. As the representative director, she is always present at the clinic, so there is no case where the doctor in charge changes midway, allowing you to receive treatment with peace of mind. There is also the advantage that appointments are flexible and emergency situations can be handled better.

With many years of orthodontic experience, she has extensive experience in high-difficulty cases, including cases where patients were told at other clinics that jaw surgery was needed for prognathism but could still be treated with non-surgical orthodontics, so anyone seeking orthodontic treatment can receive good care in any case.

Director Yoon Jeong-won

In addition, there is Dr. Ahn Ji-ho, a prosthodontic specialist in charge of general dentistry, so there is no inconvenience of having to visit another dental clinic for dental treatment that may arise during orthodontic care, such as extractions or cavities; everything can be treated at Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic. Therefore, all the necessary care for orthodontic treatment can be handled in one place, and the clinic can be said to provide high-level care.

In terms of facilities as well, it has a systematic seven-step diagnostic system using the latest equipment, including panoramic X-ray, low-dose 3D CBCT, iTero Lumina 3D oral scanning, before-and-after simulation through Morpheus 3D imaging, and determining orthodontic timing based on children’s growth using VUNO Med®-BoneAge™ (growth plate testing).

Furthermore, at Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, in addition to sterilizing the instruments used during treatment, the clinic uses sterile treatment water through the Novacare system, so you do not need to worry about the water used during treatment. It also maintains a comfortable indoor environment with an efficient air circulation system using a heat exchange ventilator and a safe air purification system using dual filters (HEPA filter and pre-filter).

Advantages of orthodontic treatment at Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic

If you are thinking about getting orthodontic treatment, please do not put it off any longer and feel free to contact Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic for a detailed consultation. The orthodontic treatment at Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic includes fees for precision diagnosis and monthly fees (excluding retainer costs), so you do not need to worry about additional expenses. In addition, since there is a general dentistry department, all treatment necessary for orthodontics, such as extractions and cavity treatment, can be done in one place. It also offers an installment payment system to reduce the burden of paying a large amount at once, which makes it even more attractive.

If you visit Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, a specialized orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong, you can accurately understand your current condition through a simple oral examination at no additional cost, and you can also hear explanations about various orthodontic appliances during the orthodontic consultation, so please feel free to contact us for a consultation.

During the consultation, you can compare various appliances such as Clarity, Clippy C, and Invisalign directly and hear detailed explanations of their pros and cons, so we encourage you to call or visit for a consultation without hesitation.

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic is close to Samseong Station, Hakyeoul Station, Daechi Station, and Hanti Station, making it very convenient for patients coming from Samseong-dong, Daechi-dong, Gaepo-dong, Dogok-dong, Ilwon-dong, Yeoksam-dong, and Jamsil.

Next to BMW at the intersection by Woosung Apartment in Daechi-dong

(Across from Starbucks/Samsung Store)

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong

Parking is convenient and free

Consultation and inquiries: 02-501-2879