Early Treatment

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children first see an orthodontist at seven years of age. We highly recommend that you bring your child into the office by this age for an initial complimentary consultation. Often, we’ll place your child on an annual or biannual recall at no charge to monitor their growth and dental development. In most cases orthodontic treatment is not started until age 10-14 when all of the permanent teeth are present.

What is Two Phase Orthodontic Treatment?
Two Phase treatment is a specialized method of treating certain patients who develop orthodontic problems at a young age. The treatments are split into two active phases; Early treatment (Phase 1) and Full Treatment (Phase 2). There is also a resting phase between the two active phases.

What is Early Orthodontic Treatment?
Early or Phase 1 orthodontic treatment is defined as treatment that is started and finished before all the permanent teeth erupt into the mouth.  Treatment can involve braces, expanders, or retainers.

Why would my child need early treatment?
Early treatment is not recommended for everyone.  It  is only recommended for children who have;
> Severe Crowding
> Bite Problems (Crossbite, overbite, underbite)
> Jaw Misalignments

The goals of early treatment are;
> Prevent current problems from getting worse
> Intercept and correct current problems
> Modify the growth and structure of the jaws

What is the Resting Period of treatment?
The resting period occurs between phase-one and phase-two, giving your child’s remaining permanent teeth time to come in. During the resting period, Dr. Thomas will be able to observe the eruption of your child’s permanent teeth in order to create a plan for phase-two.

What is involved in the Second Phase?
The second phase is the traditional full orthodontic treatment that is performed after the eruption of all permanent teeth is complete. Once the permanent teeth come in, phase two treatment begins in order to straighten and align the teeth During this phase your child may be required to wear braces for anywhere from nine months to 24 months. After the completion of phase-two, your child may be required to wear a retainer in order to retain their new smile!

Can my child wait until all their permanent teeth come in before getting orthodontic treatment?
Parents frequently ask whether or not they can “put-off” orthodontic treatment for their child until all of the permanent teeth have come in. The disadvantage to waiting is that once your child’s permanent teeth are in place it can be more difficult to correct any problems without surgery or extracting teeth. With early treatment the chances of your child needing oral surgery, or extractions, to correct any jaw discrepancies is less likely, and will help make their jaw stronger and more stable in the future.