EARLY TREATMENT

The Right Time for a Check-up: No Later Than Age 7

Even though most people think of pre-teens and teens when they think of orthodontics, there are good reasons your child should get an orthodontic evaluation much sooner. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic check-up no later than age 7.

1. Orthodontists can spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present.
2. While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.
3. The check-up may reveal that your child’s bite is fine. Often, the orthodontist will identify a potential problem but merely recommend monitoring the child’s growth and development and then, if treatment is indicated, begin at the right time for the child. In other cases, the orthodontist might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.
4. Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
5. In some cases, the orthodontist will be able to achieve the results that wouldn’t be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
6. Early treatment may give your orthodontist the chance to:
• Guide jaw growth
• Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
• Correct harmful oral habits
• Improve appearance
• Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position
• Improve the way lips meet
7. Through early orthodontic screening, you’ll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile that’s good for life.

Call our office for a complimentary screening.

Two-Phase Treatment

There are certain orthodontic and bone disharmonies that benefit from early treatment procedures. These are: skeletal and growth disharmonies, non-extraction correction of cases with borderline crowding, restoration of lost space in dental arches, severe aesthetic problems and functional problems such as mandibular displacements, cross bites or severe deep bites. Treatment of these problems at early ages can produce benefits that would be more limited if treated at a later time. Such treatment usually requires a two-phase treatment program.

A typical two-phase treatment consists of a first phase of approximately 12 to 18 months of active orthodontics in a mixed dentition (permanent and baby teeth.) This is followed by a year or two in retainers while the permanent teeth erupt (and possibly a headgear at night.) The second and final phase of active orthodontic treatment follows the intermediate retention period and takes approximately one to one and one half years. It should be emphasized that the ultimate success of the early phase treatment depends to a great extent on patient cooperation in wearing the prescribed appliances, such as the headgear or elastics.

As is the case for a single-phase treatment program, the total active treatment time for the two phases is approximately two or three years. However, a phase-two treatment program has been split into two time periods, with each period being the best time to correct the specific areas of concern. The patient’s skeletal problem, borderline crowding and formative problems are most effectively dealt with at an earlier age in the first phase of treatment. The extremely important final dental and bite refinements are most effectively achieved in the later, second-phase of treatment.

Occasionally, when a patient is being treated with a two-phase treatment program, the permanent teeth will erupt more rapidly than anticipated. If this situation should occur, the parents will be advised at a second consultation and the patient will continue directly into the second phase of treatment without removing the orthodontic appliance.