Dr. Joe Green:

If a child has pain through dental decay, infection or trauma or for some other reason, he or she will be treated in a local dental clinic. The referral to the orthodontic service has already been made. If there is an element of the orthodontic condition - the malocclusion - that is affecting the child and causing some physical pain, we would liaise immediately with the orthodontic staff to deal with that. Malocclusion by itself would rarely give rise to pain. There could be something else going on.