By Dr Jacob John
The global demand for MyoFunctional Orthodontics continues to grow. It’s an option that many parents and patients would prefer to manage the significant disharmony in the skeletal jaw growth in growing children (7 to 14 years).
The teeth are a connected structure of the face, the head and the body. The position of the teeth — good or bad — is determined by the muscles of the lip and tongue. The development of the size and shape of the jaws is almost entirely influenced by how the child breaths, swallows and position of the tongue and the lower jaw.
MyoFunctional or functional appliances are used for growth modification procedures that are aimed at intercepting and treating jaw discrepancies in growing children. These appliances depend upon the oro-facial musculature for their action. These appliances transmit, eliminate or guide the natural forces of the musculature.
They work by influencing the growth and development of the growing patient for the management of skeletal jaw disproportion (oversized or under developed jaw) deformities. They can bring about the changes like increase or decrease in jaw size, change in direction of growth of the jaws and acceleration of desirable growth. The most commonly seen skeletal class 2 and class 3 jaw growth skeletal abnormalities in children are:
Prognathic (excessive) and retrognathic (deficient) maxilla.
Prognathic (excessive) and retrognathic (deficient) mandible.
Protruded chin.
Anterior crossbite leading to developing class 3 malocclusion.
Constricted and narrow maxillary arch.
Harmful oral habits (tongue thrusting and thumb sucking).
Treatment of deficient mandible
(class 2 mandibular retrognathism)
This skeletal deformity can be effectively treated by using twin block appliance therapy which will encourage forward growth of retrosive or under developed lower jaw. This functional appliance holds the lower forward over a period until the teeth, jaw and joints have adapted and the desired jaw position has been obtained.
Headgears are the most commonly used extra oral orthopaedic appliance. Maxillary prognathism is treated by head gear therapy. This headgear therapy is used during the growth period to intercept or restrict the downward maxillary growth. They have the ability to move the dentition and the maxilla in all three planes of space.
Principle in the use of headgears-orthopaedic effects: Forces applied onto the maxilla can be used to restrict its downward and forward growth by applying a desired force through the centre of resistance of the maxilla.
Treatment of protruded chin
Protruded chin can be managed by chin cup therapy. Chin cup is an extra oral orthopaedic appliance used take anchorage from the chin. It is used to restrict the forward and downward growth of mandible.
Functional appliances align the jaws not the teeth, so they are usually used during the first stage of treatment prior to the alignment of the teeth with braces.
Growth modification is only possible when bones are still growing and most effective during children’s growth spurts. Functional orthodontic treatment is recommended in growing children between seven to 14 years to achieve all skeletal jaw growth discrepancy corrections, otherwise the treatment goals will be unattainable without surgical intervention after the face and jaw have finished growing.
* Dr Jacob John, a consultant-specialist orthodontist, will be visiting Aster Clinic at C-Ring Road between November 13-17.)
Eating fish the right way
Eating fish has been associated with lower rates of heart disease, stroke, depression and Alzheimer’s disease. But how you eat it may be the real key to reaping its benefits, reveals a research.
From adding herbs and spices to layering it up are some of the ways to make your fish eating session a healthy affair. A research by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine completed a study on volunteers who regularly ate fish and it was concluded that they had larger brain volumes in regions associated with memory and cognition, but only if the fish was baked or broiled, not fried.
Baking and broiling are also better for your waistline. For example, a dozen fried shrimp can pack 280 calories, versus a mere 85 calories for 12 shrimps that have been steamed or broiled, reports huffingtonpost.com.
Here are five tips for making baked and broiled seafood taste fantastic.
Use good fat: Before cooking, brush fish filets with extra virgin olive or coconut oil, or slather with a jarred sauce, such as sundried tomato, roasted red pepper or basil pesto. Or after cooking, top with sliced or chopped avocado, finely chopped nuts, or a dollop of olive tapenade or drizzle of tahini.
Add herbs and spices: There are numerous ways to season seafood, from a simple combo of garlic and Italian herbs to a fiery layer of blackened seasonings.
Some favourite combinations include — fresh squeezed lime juice, lime zest, cilantro and black pepper; minced garlic, fresh grated ginger, ground turmeric and crushed red pepper; fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon peel, minced garlic, parsley and black pepper; fresh dill, minced
garlic, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
Layer it: After baking or broiling, stack fish with layers of other delicious healthy foods, such as hummus, sautéed spinach, roasted tomatoes, seasoned lentils, sautéed mushrooms, wild rice, mashed sweet potato, spaghetti squash, mango salsa or slaw.
Chill it: In addition to chilled shrimp cocktail, nearly any fish can be served cold after it’s cooked. Top an entrée salad with chilled fish; add it to a cold salad made with veggies and either wholegrain pasta, wild rice or quinoa; add it to a classic chilled veggie dish like a marinated cucumber salad; or spoon it into lettuce boats made from outer romaine leaves.
Add it to other dishes: After simply baking or boiling, add seafood to another flavourful dish, such as a soup, stew, stir fry or veggie “pasta” dish. Or spoon it into corn tortillas and top with pico de gallo and guacamole for a healthy version of healthy fish tacos. — IANS