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Why does orthodontic treatment often work best before age 18?
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dentistry
The practice of dentistry involves preventing, diagnosing, and treating oral disease, as well as correcting deformities of the jaws, teeth, and oral cavity.
Orthodontic treatment is often most effective before age 18 because human bone responds more favorably to tooth movement during this developmental period.1
In the field of orthodontics, which is a specialized branch of dentistry, practitioners focus on correcting malocclusionβa poor bite caused by factors such as abnormal jaw growth or imperfect tooth development. Because the skeletal structure is still maturing in children and adolescents, the process of straightening teeth or correcting a bite is generally more beneficial and efficient than it is for adults, whose bone structure is fully developed.1