At what ages do the key stages of facial growth occur?

[pekay]

Threads like this make me angry.  I have been told a number of different things by orthodontists regarding this, the inconsistency tells me that either they don't know what the f**k they are talking about or some are lying. 

I remain convinced that orthodontic work had a negative impact on my facial growth.   I know I have seen a lot of people complaining/worrying about that and (to be honest) only a few that looks like it had a real noticeable impact, but in my case looking at before/after pictures makes it pretty clear. 

yeah a lot of orthos seem completely clueless to the s**t that really matters (dental skeletal malocclusion) they "try" their best to fix the bite and completely ignore the rest

the real f**ked up part about all this is that braces have enough torque to f**k up your face but not enough to fix it

[Alue]

I had laugh lines, and dark bags under my eyes at the age of 16.  Before having extractions/head gear my mid-face and under eye area looked totally normal.  I just had a class 2 jaw and that was fixed by preventing growth of my maxilla.  

[CK]

I forgot.
Did you have braces a kid/teenager?

yea i had braces when i was 11/12-17, then 18+.

[CK]

yeah a lot of orthos seem completely clueless to the s**t that really matters (dental skeletal malocclusion) they "try" their best to fix the bite and completely ignore the rest

the real f**ked up part about all this is that braces have enough torque to f**k up your face but not enough to fix it

this.

my original ortho was like, "your bite is great." yeah, at the cost of preventing my jaw and face from growing properly. they are only ~4,000 orthos in the USA and as far as i know the philosophy remains largely unchanged, although orthos are finally catching on to the fact that extractions are a mistake.

[Alue]

this.

my original ortho was like, "your bite is great." yeah, at the cost of preventing my jaw and face from growing properly. they are only ~4,000 orthos in the USA and as far as i know the philosophy remains largely unchanged, although orthos are finally catching on to the fact that extractions are a mistake.

I actually noticed something was wrong when I was a teenager and had finished orthodontic treatment.  My parents took me back and I asked him about it and he said "your bite looks fine to me" and it was brushed off like that, I had always hated my "overbite" which was my understanding of my retruded jaw at the time... and that was made worse.  My bite, however was put into acceptable alignment. 

[CK]

I actually noticed something was wrong when I was a teenager and had finished orthodontic treatment.  My parents took me back and I asked him about it and he said "your bite looks fine to me" and it was brushed off like that, I had always hated my "overbite" which was my understanding of my retruded jaw at the time... and that was made worse.  My bite, however was put into acceptable alignment. 

my ortho originally said i would need surgery from the get-go, but definitely under-sold it. he said the bite was the problem, but the jaw may need to be operated on to create the most ideal occlusion.

my parents were very concerned because they could see the rapid changes in my face but the ortho was confident in his diagnosis.

then when i actually started exploring surgery he decided to retire. awesome.

[pekay]

Canadian orthodontists were surveyed by mail to determine the latest skeletal age at which they would recommend orthopedic therapy and orthognathic surgery and the earliest at which they would recommend orthognathic surgery. For the purposes of this introductory study, orthopedic therapy implied stimulation of physiologic response using appliance force, without specification of appliance type. Response rate from 512 orthodontists was 65% (n = 334), with the response rate by item varying from 92% to 95%. By Greulich and Pyle standards, the latest recommended age for orthopedic therapy was at 97% completion of skeletal growth (females 13.5 years, males 15 years), whereas the earliest recommended age for orthognathic surgery was when skeletal growth is 99% complete (females 14.9 years, males 16.5 years). Surgery would be recommended by 32% of respondents for a patient before the age of 8 years, if deformity is severe. For orthognathic surgery, respondents either perceived no age maximum or recommended 69 years, the maximum age on the questionnaire item. Orthodontists' traits influenced recommendations for timing treatment.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9484206

[CK]

orthodontists are sketchy. i mean look at head gear, all these appliances completely undermine the growth of the maxilla but hey if the occlusion is good no worries right?

and im not sure how healthy it is to put extreme pressure on the teeth at an early age, can that not affect growth? also there is a financial incentive. loads of people who need surgery young get braces instead.

if growth became more understood and people were more informed it would seriously affect the business of orthodontics.

these days it's almost mandatory kids get braces.

[pekay]

orthodontists are sketchy.

a good chunk of them = SCUM

that is for sure

[CK]

a good chunk of them = SCUM

that is for sure

criminal imo. paying someone to destroy your appearance and function.

[Kristen]

orthodontists are sketchy. i mean look at head gear, all these appliances completely undermine the growth of the maxilla but hey if the occlusion is good no worries right?

and im not sure how healthy it is to put extreme pressure on the teeth at an early age, can that not affect growth? also there is a financial incentive. loads of people who need surgery young get braces instead.

if growth became more understood and people were more informed it would seriously affect the business of orthodontics.

these days it's almost mandatory kids get braces.

So true!

[pekay]

Abstract
Management of the growing patient with mandibular dentofacial deformities presents a unique and challenging problem for orthodontists and surgeons. The surgical procedures required for correction of the deformity may affect postsurgical growth and dentofacial development. Further, facial growth may continue postoperatively and negate the benefits of surgery performed, resulting in treatment outcomes that are less than ideal. From individual patient characteristics, the type of deformity, and the indications for early surgical intervention, it is possible to effectively treat many cases during growth. A thorough understanding of facial growth patterns is essential, and each case needs to be evaluated individually. Surgery is often undertaken with the expectation that additional treatment, including more surgery, may be required after the completion of growth. The material presented here is based on the available research and the senior author'ss clinical experience of more than 25 years in the correction of mandibular deformities in the growing patient. Advantages and disadvantages of specific surgical techniques for correction of common mandibular deformities and pertinent age and surgical considerations are discussed. The material should be viewed as a general outline that provides broad guidelines for management of these patients. The management of maxillary deformities will be discussed in Part 2 of this article. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2001;119:95-101)

http://www.ajodo.org/article/S0889-5406(01)72231-7/abstract

wouldn't mind getting my hands on that entire piece but $31? 

[Sharptoys]

Abstract
Management of the growing patient with mandibular dentofacial deformities presents a unique and challenging problem for orthodontists and surgeons. The surgical procedures required for correction of the deformity may affect postsurgical growth and dentofacial development. Further, facial growth may continue postoperatively and negate the benefits of surgery performed, resulting in treatment outcomes that are less than ideal. From individual patient characteristics, the type of deformity, and the indications for early surgical intervention, it is possible to effectively treat many cases during growth. A thorough understanding of facial growth patterns is essential, and each case needs to be evaluated individually. Surgery is often undertaken with the expectation that additional treatment, including more surgery, may be required after the completion of growth. The material presented here is based on the available research and the senior author'ss clinical experience of more than 25 years in the correction of mandibular deformities in the growing patient. Advantages and disadvantages of specific surgical techniques for correction of common mandibular deformities and pertinent age and surgical considerations are discussed. The material should be viewed as a general outline that provides broad guidelines for management of these patients. The management of maxillary deformities will be discussed in Part 2 of this article. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2001;119:95-101)

http://www.ajodo.org/article/S0889-5406(01)72231-7/abstract

wouldn't mind getting my hands on that entire piece but $31? 

It is incredible that the literature for most fields of science is hidden behind a paywall. But I guess Elsevier's gotta make a buck...

[pekay]

this abnormal growth s**t is fascinating

good read all around and I generally despise reading 

[CK]

i wish didnt even know about this.