Current team members
Orthodontists – Orthodontists are dental specialists who diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities.
Dental surgery technicians – Dental staffs who assists orthodontists in the clinical procedures.
Location and timings
At present the orthodontic unit is based in Yellow roof dental, surgery no.4, Seychelles hospital, HCA, the unit works in shift system, the timing are from Monday to Friday 7am to 7 pm on appointment basis.
Orthodontic Community Services
The orthodontists visits all districts dental clinics at primary health centers and school dental clinics including Praslin and La Digue on monthly basis.
Referral Protocols
Dental therapists, Dentists and other dental specialists will first assess the need for orthodontic treatment and severity of malocclusion, using IOTN scores (Index of Orthodontic Treatment Needs) and will refer the patients to the orthodontists for management.
Preventive Orthodontics
Preventive orthodontics includes actions undertaken prior to the onset of a malocclusion, so as to prevent the anticipated development of a malocclusion. They include the care of deciduous dentition; monitoring of eruption and shedding timetable of teeth; early recognition and elimination of oral habits like thumb sucking, tongue thrusting etc., that might interfere with the normal development of the teeth and jaws; removal of retained deciduous teeth and supernumeraries, which may impede eruption of permanent teeth and maintenance of space following premature loss of milk teeth to allow proper eruption of their successors.
Interceptive orthodontics and Corrective orthodontics
These procedures are undertaken during the early manifestation and after the manifestation of malocclusion respectively with the use of following orthodontic appliances:
- Fixed appliances
Fixed orthodontic therapy will include examination, investigations including photographs, radiographs, study models, diagnosis and advice, planning of orthodontic treatment, fixation of attachments (brackets) to the teeth and application of forces by arch wires or auxiliaries and delivery of retainers after active treatment.
- Removable appliances
These appliances can be removed and fitted back into the mouth by the patient, variety of removable appliance including oral habit breakers are currently being delivered.
- Functional appliances
They act principally by holding the jaw away from the normal resting position to effect growth modification and to correct jaw discrepancies in growing patients.
- Extra oral appliances
Head gear and chin cup to correct the position of the teeth/jaw.
Surgical Orthodontics
Certain jaw discrepancies will require surgical jaw correction with oral maxillo facial surgeon, which requires pre-surgical and post-surgical orthodontics.
Adult Orthodontics
Assessment and treatment of adult patients with functional disabilities and the need for orthodontic treatment based on IOTN scores.
Interdisciplinary Team
Orthodontist works with other specialties in the management of patients with cleft lip and palate, TMJ disorders, upper airway sleep disorders