Aberrant eruption and its relationship to crowding: the need for early detection and management.

A modular, fixed-functional method has been described using a new generation of appliances that are smaller, more comfortable and more patient friendly, while gaining the advantages of a combined fixed-functional and postural therapy. The case has been made for the middle mixed dentition as the optimal starting time. Crowding, overbite and molar rotation are managed simply with a combined use of flexible lip bumpers, bite plane and sequential primary tooth extraction. In conclusion, Phase I Postural Therapy will be shown to have the following advantages: more biologically and patient friendly more conducive to non-extraction more efficient and cost effective simple fabrication and reduced chair time reduced Phase II fixed appliance time, and completion at a younger age.