Apgujeong Pediatric Orthodontics: Invisalign First, Arch Expansion, and Crowded Teeth Correction

Hello,

Let me introduce Apgujeong pediatric orthodontics.

Assuming there are no skeletal issues such as an underbite or asymmetry,

if orthodontic treatment is done with Invisalign First during childhood, the likelihood of needing orthodontic treatment again as an adult becomes very low.

This is because it allows you to benefit from both the effects of a conventional pediatric arch-expansion appliance and the effects of a 2x4 appliance for aligning the front teeth.

Now, let’s begin the story of Apgujeong pediatric orthodontics, Invisalign First, arch expansion, and crowded teeth correction.

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This is a 9-year-old child who came in for pediatric orthodontic treatment.

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The upper front teeth cover the lower teeth so much that they are almost invisible, indicating a deep overbite, and the upper teeth are noticeably protrusive.

Looking at the X-ray, there are still 8 baby teeth remaining, but by the end of the 18-month warranty period, most of the permanent teeth are expected to have erupted.

We began making the appliance with the goals of securing space for permanent teeth eruption through arch expansion, reducing upper tooth protrusion, and aligning the front teeth.

After waiting a month and a half, the first appliance was worn starting in September 2022, and this is the result after wearing all of the first set of appliances for 9 months until June 2023.

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The deep overbite has been resolved, and the midline is well aligned.

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The protrusion of the front teeth has been improved, and the canines are coming down.

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The alignment has become quite neat, and in the meantime several baby teeth have fallen out while the permanent teeth are erupting.

In a situation like this, it is better to take a break for a while rather than remake the appliance right away.

We wait a few months until the permanent teeth that are currently erupting have come in.

After that, making a new appliance allows it to fit better and brings various advantages. We also advise removing baby teeth at the appropriate time so that as many permanent teeth as possible can erupt within the 18-month period and be corrected.

After spending 5 months resting while wearing the last appliance only at night, the canines and premolars had erupted to some extent, so we proceeded with a remake. Just before the warranty period ended, around the 17-month mark, we remade the appliance once more to fully align even the slightly rotated canines, and finally completed treatment in August 2024.

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There were a total of 2 remakes, and the total treatment period was 2 years, with a 5-month break in between. At the end of treatment, 2 baby teeth remained, and because there was enough space, the unerupted successor permanent teeth are also expected to come down nicely.

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The expanded arch from arch expansion and the neatly aligned front teeth stand out.

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The midline is also precisely aligned, and the deep overbite has been resolved.

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Even in pediatric orthodontics, a retainer is essential to maintain the results.

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Improvement in protrusive front teeth

At first, they were a child, but over the course of 2 years they became a proper teenager.

The front tooth angles and smile line are both good.

The root parallelism is also good.

When the protrusion of the front teeth is improved, the mouth can finally close comfortably.

If results like this are achieved, there is no need to undergo orthodontic treatment again as an adult. To maintain the good results, the retainer worn only at night must be worn consistently, and the follow-up visits during the retention period should also be kept well.

That concludes the introduction to Apgujeong pediatric orthodontics. At our clinic, we treat pediatric patients with the goal of making this their first and last orthodontic treatment.