Conventional orthodontic treatment is generally incompatible with the Gillespie Approach.
The two maxillary, or upper jaw, bones expand and contract with the brain. If this motion is restricted, all the bones of the head can tighten in a domino effect, creating the dreaded zero-second brain cycle.
Three common orthodontic procedures can restrict brain motion:
When the palate needs to be expanded, orthodontists often use an appliance to force the maxillary bones apart. If these forces are greater that the fascial web can tolerate, this procedure can upset the motion of the maxillary bones to create a zero-second brain cycle.
The same can be said when an arch wire, a wire attached to all of the upper teeth, is tightened. This can freeze the motion of the maxillary bones and create a zero-second brain cycle.
After completion of orthodontics, the child can wear a maxillary appliance at night to keep the teeth from shifting back to their original position. When it is snapped into place in the upper jaws, the maxillary bone motion can freeze to create a zero-second brain cycle.
The following clinical dilemma can arise. A child with concerning health issues recently presented with a zero-second brain cycle and tight fascia. Usually, I would expect a positive therapeutic result, but she just had braces installed on her upper teeth.
I did not know if they were affecting the restriction of her brain motion, so I did a therapy session hoping the brain would normally open. Since the cranial tissues would not release, I assumed that the wire was holding the maxillary bones tight.
I had to delicately break the news to mom that I could not get a beneficial result with the current orthodontic plan. But I understood she wrote a large check to start the orthodontics.
I always let parents decide what they want to do for their child. My ultimate goal would be for all orthodontists to practice with the Gillespie Approach in mind.
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