Osteopathic treatment before and during Orthodontic treatment can be very helpful. Before the Orthodontic treatment begins Osteopaths look to get the face, head and body as a whole as free and mobile as possible to be able to respond to the demands the braces are going to create. During the period where you are actually wearing the braces, Osteopathic treatment is aimed at keeping the face, head and body as a whole as compliant to, and accepting of, having what is in effect a fixed brace on an otherwise mobile system. So by having Osteopathic treatment along side the Orthodontic work, you can keep the whole body from locking up under the effect of the braces and I have found in clinic this often results in dentist being surprised by how quickly they get the changes they are looking for in the patients. The end result is also better because we have worked to keep the face and body as mobile as possible throughout the Orthodontic work.
The conventional NHS approach to Orthodontics is to wait until the child is around 12-13 years old, then (as crowding is often an issue) extracting teeth to make space for the remaining teeth, and finally using a fixed brace to correct the alignment of the teeth. One of the problems with this approach is that extracting teeth adds to the already existing crowding in the bony face, sinuses, airways and neck; which can contribute to problems in these areas.
The Myobrace is an alternative approach to Orthodontics and works primarily by changing the way you use the facial muscles involved in chewing and swallowing. The tongue and lips exert an almost continuous and repeated force on the teeth that can either lead to crowding and misalignment, or when used correctly can keep the space and alignment needed for optimum function. The Myobrace is a flexible removable appliance that is used 1-2 hours in the day and during the night; this in itself minimises the bracing restriction caused by other Orthodontic approaches on the otherwise mobile face, head and body. The system can be used from as early as 5 years to about 15 years of age; this is so as to make best use of the active stages of growing and development of the face. The treatment will normally last 2 years, after which there should be no need for retainers as the tongue and lips will do the work of keeping the teeth where they need to be. Both my children have used the Myobrace for about a year now, along side having regular Osteopathic treatment, and I am astounded by the changes I have seen in the alignment of their teeth. (I will try and include some pictures here soon so that you can see for yourselves)
If you are interested in finding out more about the Myobrace and how it works, have a look at their website at www.myobrace.com
The closest dentist to Stroud that I know who uses the Myobrace approach and has a very engaging and holistic approach to dentistry is Dr. Jamie at the Staple Hill Dental Practice in Bristol www.staplehilldentalpractice.net
Feb 2025 UPDATE; Staple Hill Dental Practice have started favouring a system of clear aligners instead of the Myobrace approach. My experience with these aligners has been a good one. They are easy to use, can come on and off, are flexible so do not completely fix the midline (although once they are on and engaged with the knobby bits they fit onto on the teeth, they do form a relatively rigid system). The main draw back compared to the Myobrace is that there is no emphasis on learning to use and place your tongue in the correct way.
In terms of cost, in 2023 we paid £2’000 for our daughter to have a full treatment plan. This included the initial assessment and scans, all the aligners and follow-up visits for the duration of the treatment plan, which so far has been about 2 years. The cost can be spread over a couple of years with a monthly interest free payment plan.