Holistic Vs. Traditional: What’s the Right Orthodontic Path for You?

There’s been a lot of talk about holistic medicine in recent years. With more and more patients and practitioners interested in what it is and how it works, it’s important to clarify how the practice applies to different specialties in the medical and dental professions. If you’ve heard of holistic orthodontics, we’ll look at the underlying principles that drive the orthodontist’s examination of each patient.

Jaw Joints and Teeth

Even with the availability of X-rays and other imaging equipment, not all orthodontists consider how the mouth functions as a whole. Braces may be able to straighten teeth for a time, but if the teeth were misaligned due to an issue with the jaw joint, the results won’t last for very long.

If you’re looking for holistic orthodontics in Solon, OH, the goal is to find a professional who will evaluate the jaw joints as well as your breathing airways. This is done to ultimately assess what the best path is forward. With traditional orthodontics, the relatively rapid shifting of the teeth combined with the compression of the disks of the joint can lead to tension in the jaw. This is more than just a passing annoyance for patients, it can end up causing their teeth to revert to their original positions over time.

Orthodontic Treatments in Shaker Heights, OH

Finding an orthodontist is not always as simple as it looks, particularly when there are different schools of thought on the same issue. At McGuire Orthodontics and Facial Orthopedics, the extra time and care put into a holistic examination is done to save time in the long run. The staff will treat every patient as an individual before recommending a course of treatment that will thoroughly protect the teeth, jaw, and bones. Long after the devices have been removed, a holistic orthodontist in Solon, OH wants to be confident that your follow-ups are little more than general maintenance of a healthy mouth.