Early Orthodontic Treatment

Q.  All the young children in the neighborhood already are wearing “braces” and “retainers”, why should my child wait until he is older?

A.  Although there are some orthodontic problems that should be corrected early (interceptive treatment) this in no guarantee that future treatment will not be necessary when all of the permanent teeth erupt at around age 12.  Sometimes early treatment just costs more and takes longer.  Recent studies have shown that for many patients, the final result of two phase treatment is no better than waiting and doing a straightforward one phase treatment.  This is not to say that parents should wait until all the baby teeth fall out before bringing in their child for a consultation.  Often there are some timely and simple things we may recommend, and it is always better to be a little early than to miss the appropriate time to treat.

Bottom line: We like to think that, at Century Orthodontics, we are right where we should be.  Doing things when and if they are needed…no more, no less!

Why do I need a good “bite”?

Why do I need a good “bite”?

Orthodontic treatment has two major components: getting the teeth straight so they look good, and getting the “bite” correct so that they function as they should.  Now, in general, it is much easier to just straighten the teeth than it is to fix a bite, and often we have the teeth “straight” very early in orthodontic treatment, yet spend months more doing things to fix the bite.

So the question we often get is: “Doc, how important is it to fix the bite”

Our answer runs something like this:

Say you go to your regular doctor for a checkup.  The doctor checks your blood pressure, studies your blood profile, exams you and finally says: “Well everything checks out fine EXCEPT the fact that you are slightly overweight.  Now it is your turn to ask: “doc, what does that mean to my health to be overweight?  Does it mean I will get diabetes, have an early heart attack? Should I be worried?

Now, if your doctor is honest, she should answer you like this: “NO, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad will happen, but, all things being equal; it would be BETTER if you weren’t overweight”

And this is the same answer we give for the question: “do I need my bite fixed?”

Of course everything is relative, so you should watch your diet and lose the weight, but should you get your stomach stapled if you are 20 pounds overweight?….we don’t think so!  By the same reasoning, if we can fix your bite with a reasonable degree of effort, we think it is worth it.  If it would take 3 years or jaw surgery…maybe the “cure is worse than the disease” and we should settle for straight teeth and a less than ideal bite.  In these situations, we are happy to spend whatever time is necessary to help you make the right decision!

Dr Matlof...our old partner


Many of the parents of our current patients will remember Dr. Matlof from the days when they came to our office to get their teeth straight.  Dr Matlof passed away much too young and is still missed.  I found this note which expressed his (and I hope our) dedication to our practice:


“I would now like to tell you, perhaps for the first time, my philosophy of orthodontic practice.  With all due respect to the well paid, if not well intended, practice management consultants, the one ingredient that gets overshadowed by the superficial glitz is the genuine caring for the patient.
Everything we do, from the great letters we generate from the front office to the latest colors in elastic chains we put on in the clinic are peripheral to the one purpose of our being; to treat our patients with the utmost of our professional skill and with the utmost concern for their sense of well-being.
All the "gimmicks" in the world will not accomplish this, but genuine caring will. Our office doesn't have to look like the Taj Mahal or a submarine; it just has to be clean, orderly, and comfortable.  Our patients don't have to be entertained by video games, if we show them we care about them.  Talk to them; not around, above, or through them. Compliment them when they’re doing well, and be critical in a friendly and constructive way when they're not.
I'd be an idealistic fool not to realize that work is a means to an end, the end being that which money can buy.  If you let it, work can also be an end in itself; the end being that which money can't buy - - - the self satisfaction in doing the best job you possibly can and seeing the results of your labor.  No matter how seemingly ordinary the deed, it can be done extra-ordinarily well.
 Be friendly and attentive to our patients, for without them we would have neither of these ends to enjoy.
I'm thankful for a lot of things in my life.  High on the list is having you on our staff and feeling close enough to bear my soul.

Dr. M.    “  

superelastic wires

Great video explaining superelastic type wires we use!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzJDlN2o36M

Why Teeth are not like fence posts

 (And bone is not like concrete)

Over the years one of our favorite sayings has been “teeth are not like fence posts stuck in concrete”.  What we mean is, unlike concrete, the bone around the teeth never hardens to the point that it becomes solid and prevents all tooth movement.  No matter how long a tooth is retained in place, the bone support will always allow movement if there is unbalanced pressure on the tooth.  This pressure can come from the bite, lips, tongue, or orthodontic appliances.  Only when all of these forces are balanced, or when retainers are used, will the tooth not move.  This is like a fence post stuck in a bucket of sand.  It will stay in place only if nobody pushes it.

Each individual’s dental, neuromuscular, and skeletal situation determines the forces on the teeth.  After the initial stabilization with retainers (a few months) your teeth may or may not try to move. Even in those cases where the teeth are stable (people who never needed braces) the balance may change years latter and the teeth will move.  It makes no difference how long the teeth are straight (either naturally or with retainers)…. if the balance of forces changes the teeth will move.

Bottom line: Yes, some people get away with not wearing their retainers  Unfortunately we don’t always know who needs retainers and who doesn’t!  And so, after all you’ve been through to get this point, doesn’t it make sense to hold what you have by wearing your retainers!

A History of Century Orthodontics

Few specialties of medicine or dentistry can trace back their origins to just one man so easily as the field of orthodontics.

 Dr Edward Angle (1855-1930) is universally considered to be the father of modern orthodontics.  Among his many accomplishments were the development of a classification system of malocclusion still in use today; the invention of the edgewise orthodontic appliance (the "braces" used by the majority of today's orthodontists); establishing the world's first school for orthodontics (right here in St. Louis in the year 1899); and finally founder and first president of what was to become the American Association of Orthodontists (national headquarters still here in St. Louis).

We also have traced our origins, and we were pleased to discover that our predecessor was this very same Dr. Edward Angle who started an orthodontic practice in 1896 at 2946 Washington Avenue in the city of St. Louis.

 After Dr. Angle the practice descended (with numerous relocations) to Dr. William Wilson who in turn passed it on to Dr. H. Carlyle Pollock Sr. famous in his own right as the founder and long time editor of the American Journal of Orthodontics.  Following Dr. Pollock was his partner Dr. H.V. Holestine; then Dr. Francis Miller who took in and eventually turned over the practice to Dr. Michael Matlof.  After moving to Manchester and taking in Dr. Robert Waxler, the practice opened a second office, at 8000 Bonhomme in Clayton.  In 1996 Dr. Jeffrey Cavanaugh joined the practice just before Dr. Matlof’s retirement due to illness. It was at this time that the practice was renamed Century Orthodontics in commemoration of its 100 year anniversary. A third office was opened in the Wildwood/Ellisville area in 2003.

Before and After