Progeny is a deviation from the norm in the structure of the dentition. It is expressed in enlargement and protrusion of the lower jaw. Such pathological deformation occurs statistically in the range of 1.4 - 30% of patients.
External signs:
In addition to a protruding lower jaw, patients with pathology experience:
- recession of the face in the middle part;
- thickening of the lower lip relative to the upper, its protrusion, and sometimes inversion;
- deepened nasolabial folds;
- increased angle between the lower and upper jaw.
Why is progeny dangerous?
With progenia, the process of chewing, digesting and assimilation of food is disrupted. A person with a severe pathology experiences difficulty while eating, sometimes even cannot take a full bite, which leads to increased stress on the gastrointestinal tract.
There is a redistribution of the load on the teeth, as a result of which some of them wear out faster and require frequent treatment. In addition, the proportions are disrupted and the appearance of the face changes. Such an aesthetic defect in childhood can cause complexes and isolation in a child.
Impairments in oral breathing also appear. The consequence of this is an increased incidence of colds, periodic chapping of the lips and dryness of the oral mucosa.
Methods for correcting mesial occlusion
Before moving on to work on the placement of teeth during progeny, the orthodontist conducts diagnostics to identify the type and severity of the defect. It is necessary to obtain the patient’s anthropometric parameters and assess occlusion, that is, the contact of the dentition. Using a functional test, the doctor determines whether the patient has true or false progeny. Teleradiography is also used for diagnosis - photographs of the skull in frontal and lateral projections, and orthopantomography - a panoramic photograph of the dentition. Sometimes doctors perform electromyography of muscles to determine whether they have functional problems.
The treatment method depends on the type of progeny and the age of the patient. The defect can be most effectively corrected in children before adolescence - which is why it is so important to regularly visit a pediatric orthodontist. Having discovered progeny, the doctor will suggest a number of measures - from the eradication of bad habits such as thumb sucking to the selection of orthodontic devices (plates and activators) to shift the jaw to the correct position and form the correct arrangement of teeth.
To correct such a bite in adolescents and adults, various types of braces, as well as additional orthodontic devices, can be used. The purpose of their use is to shift the teeth of the upper and lower jaws, eliminate gaps between the lower teeth, and move the teeth forward in the upper anterior section. All this is needed to form the correct bite. In the most difficult cases, orthognathic surgery is used - surgical methods for correcting the bite, in which the doctor corrects the position and shape of the jaws.
Classification of progeny
Pathology is divided into false and true.
In cases of true progeny, the lower jaw develops to a greater extent. In patients with this type, diction is impaired and all external signs of pathology are present. The appearance is influenced by genetic factors, birth injuries and diseases of the woman during pregnancy. It is important to begin treatment at an early age, while the maxillofacial bones can be corrected. Corrective measures are limited to delaying the development of the lower jaw, using massage, and sometimes surgical intervention. In adulthood, adjustments are more difficult. You will need surgery and wearing an orthodontic device.
False progeny is characterized by normal jaw size. In this case, the lower one is shifted forward. Such a bite is formed when a person has to push it forward, as a result of which the muscles and ligamentous apparatus develop incorrectly. The causes are prematurely lost or removed milk teeth in the upper jaw, delayed replacement of teeth, or constant fixation of the lower facial region in the wrong position.
What is progeny of the jaw?
This is a type of jaw disorder in which the lower jaw, chin and lower lip protrude significantly forward, and the upper lip may recede. The teeth of the lower row overlap the teeth of the upper row when the patient closes the jaw. This type of defect is also called mesial malocclusion. There are different degrees of severity of this defect - from a slightly protruding chin, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, to a condition in which there is a very strong disproportion between the upper and lower jaws.
Interesting fact!
A slight degree of progeny of the lower jaw in the case of men is considered a sign of a particularly masculine appearance.
So, maybe this defect is not worth fixing? It is important to understand here that any malocclusion, even if it seems harmless, can lead to a number of unpleasant consequences - both for the health of the oral cavity and for the body as a whole:
- increased abrasion of enamel;
- higher risk of developing caries;
- disorders of the temporomandibular joint;
- discomfort or even pain when opening the mouth and (or) chewing;
- headaches, neck pain, insomnia;
- diction defects;
- disproportions and asymmetries of facial features.
Correction of bite during progenia
The choice of correction methods depends on the type of pathology and the causes of its occurrence. The orthodontic appliances used stimulate the development of the upper jaw and correct the position of the teeth. DaVinci studio dentists use:
- mouthguards;
- trainers;
- plates.
These are less painful and long-lasting methods of correction. When starting treatment in adulthood, the braces system will help you achieve the desired result. Children wear them from one to one and a half years, while adults wear them for about four years.
Serious dental deformities in the absence of a desire to use braces are treated with surgical intervention in adulthood. Surgery is a financially expensive method associated with the risk of complications. Therefore, if a dentist recommends wearing orthodontic appliances, it is better to listen to the advice.
Signs of progeny
When seeking help from an orthodontist, many patients focus primarily on an unattractive appearance of their smile or face. In this regard, it is not difficult to identify dental progeny - it is characterized by:
- unaesthetic appearance of teeth and smile - the upper front teeth are completely or partially hidden behind the lower ones;
- lack of contact when the teeth of the upper and lower jaws meet - a gap is visible between them, sometimes up to 10 millimeters wide;
- the lower jaw is significantly longer than the upper and protrudes noticeably forward, especially when looking at the face in profile;
- When chewing, the patient experiences painful or uncomfortable sensations.
There are 2 types of this defect:
- true progeny is an increase in all or most parameters of the lower jaw and dentition;
- false progeny - when the size of the bone in the lower jaw is normal, but there is either underdevelopment of the upper jaw or a forward displacement of the lower jaw while maintaining normal size.
Prevention
If the pathology is not congenital, the formation of a pathological bite can be avoided by taking timely measures:
- Plan your first visit to the dentist when the child is 2-3 years old;
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol (even in small doses) while planning pregnancy and while carrying a baby;
- prevent the development of bad habits: wean your baby off thumb sucking, get rid of pacifiers and bottles in a timely manner;
- From early childhood, teach to keep your posture straight, since the interconnection of all systems in the body has been proven. Slouching changes the tilt of the head, which contributes to the constant advancement of the lower jaw forward;
- Monitor the position of the child's head during sleep. The child should not get used to placing a pillow or fist under it. Excessive pressure on the jaw creates an incorrect bite. You should also avoid throwing your head back or pressing your head to your chest.
The main signs of progeny are a signal for immediate contact with the dentist. Pay special attention to your child, because it is in childhood that pathology is easy to correct.
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Reasons for the formation of progenic bite
There are two types of mesial occlusion - congenital, when such formation of the jaws is due to a hereditary factor, and acquired. The development of progeny is influenced by:
- abnormalities in the structure of the pharynx, due to which the child develops breathing problems at an early age;
- improperly formed frenulum of the tongue;
- calcium metabolism disorder;
- trauma during childbirth;
- edentulous upper jaw or, conversely, the presence of supernumerary teeth in the lower jaw;
- bad habits - maintaining finger, tongue or upper lip sucking for too long;
- Weaning a child off a pacifier or pacifier too late;
- acromegaly - disturbances in the functioning of the pituitary gland, which lead to enlargement of the bones of the feet, hands and jaws.
Clinical picture
The process of development of the anomaly can be recognized in time, and the developed pathology is difficult not to notice. Symptoms are divided into external and internal.
External:
- direction of the movable jaw forward;
- visual elongation of the oval of the face due to a change in angle;
- uncharacteristic location or obvious enlargement of the lower lip;
- violation of the proportion of the lower and upper jaws;
- pointed chin;
- smoothing the fold connecting the mouth to the chin;
- deepening of nasolabial folds;
- jaw asymmetry.
These signs may be a manifestation of a disorder, and may also be associated with individual physiological characteristics.
Internal symptoms:
- slight lisp;
- overlap of the upper dentition with the lower one;
- violation of jaw symmetry with the mouth closed;
- chronic diseases of the oral cavity (caries, plaque, etc.);
- enlarged teeth;
- violation of chewing function.
Internal signs are difficult to notice with the naked eye, but they can be identified in time during a routine dental examination.
Treatment of progenia
Treatment of pathology at a young age
In the early stages of the disease, it is much easier to stop the development of the pathological process.
Treatment of progeny in young children comes down to the following measures in dentistry:
- eliminating factors influencing the formation of malocclusion;
- massage of the anterior zone of the alveolar process located on the upper jaw;
- correction of a shortened frenulum of the tongue;
- combating bad habits (through the use of the vestibular plate);
- normalizing the functions of swallowing, chewing, breathing and speech (using labial activators, training the orbicularis oris muscle);
- artificially establishing the child’s incisors in marginal closure by grinding their cutting edges (the technique is used to treat children under 4 years of age with a slight reverse overlap);
- the use of the Bruckle device and a cap with a chin sling and an extraoral rubber rod to displace the lower jaw (advisable for deep incisal reverse overlap);
- the use of plates with protracting springs located on the vestibular or palatal surface of the central incisors during the eruption of the latter;
- the use of occlusal pads in the presence of incisal reverse overlap not exceeding 2 mm;
- the use of the Wunderer activator, the Bashirova apparatus, the Hoffman activator, the Schwarz double plate, the Andersen-Goipl activator, the functional Boule apparatus and the Frenkel clasp activator for the treatment of severe dentoalveolar types of pathology.
Treatment of pathology in adolescents
Treatment of progenia in persons with a formed permanent dentition requires much more effort and time than treatment of this pathology in children. At the same time, to correct the bite in adolescents in orthodontics, the same devices are most often used as in the period of temporary occlusion, however, dentists in this case opt for the use of fixed devices.
Treatment of the disease in adults
In case of severe progeny in adults, the Brückle apparatus, arc devices with intermaxillary traction and brace systems can be used.
In this case, orthopedic treatment of pathology is reduced to the following measures:
- displacement of the lower jaw teeth lingually, and the upper jaw labially (using a wire ligature, protraction springs and devices operating on the principle of an inclined plane);
- reducing the length of the lower row of teeth by removing some teeth or eliminating spaces between them, as well as lengthening the upper row by moving the front teeth forward;
- sagittal displacement of both dentitions in the required directions.
If necessary, the fight against progeny can be carried out using a combined hardware-surgical method.
