The ALF Approach: Changing the Face of Orthodontics

PAPERBACK EDITION CONTAINS BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES. HARDCOVER EDITION CONTAINS FULL COLOR IMAGES. Millions of people treated with traditional orthodontics have experienced a relapse in crowding or malposition of teeth when the required lifetime nighttime dental retainer is discontinued. In fact, there is a 100% chance that teeth alignment will not be sustained without the nighttime correction of a dental appliance. Many may have also experienced postural changes with "slouching" shoulders or jaw and head pain or worse, or developed sleep apnea years after orthodontics. Why is this and is there an alternative orthodontic approach? The goal of the current traditional orthodontic approach is to pull the upper and/or lower jaws back with braces in order to align the teeth. This approach is currently called retractive orthodontics. The common consequence is the space inside the mouth, known as the oral volume, becomes smaller and the tongue becomes crowded, thus falling back into the airway. It is estimated that 22 million people suffer with sleep apnea secondary to the compromise of airway space. This backwards retraction on the upper and lower jaw goes against the face's natural forward growth and developmental process. The forward growth of the face is driven and directed by the functions of the face. The ALF Approach book presents the underlying causes of crooked teeth, jaw pain, and postural changes and the "why" behind the relapse. This book explains the critical functions of nasal breathing, functional swallowing, and resting position of the tongue in the upper palate, as well as chewing as the basis for optimal facial form and dental postural health. The book emphasizes and explains the utmost importance of tongue function and nasal breathing to optimize airway and the importance of a forward orthodontic treatment that increases the airway as it augments normal growth and development of the face. The goal of this book is to present the ALF Approach, an integrative forward-focused alternative approach to traditional orthodontics, so the millions of people seeking help with misaligned teeth, jaw pain, postural issues, airway compromises, allergies, asthma, and many other health and neuromuscular skeletal compromises can experience an transformational holistic orthodontic treatment. This book is written for the prospective patient, curious and worried parent, as well as the new and seasoned ALF dentist, myofunctional therapist, and osteopathic physician. Inside the book you will find: - Description and goals of the ALF appliance and approach. - What are the underlying causes of malocclusions and how to correct them with a biocompatible approach? - How birth trauma can influence facial growth and malocclusions. - What is osteopathic manual medicine and who needs it? - What is oral myofunctional therapy and who needs it? - The interdependent connection between posture and the dental occlusion. - A comprehensive integrative functional approach to temporomandibular dysfunction. - How the food we eat affects the growth of our face. - Early interventions related to craniofacial dysfunction.