Early Treatment Orthodontic

When you think of big milestones in your child’s life, you may think of the day your baby got his first tooth, or years later when he lost a tooth and would carefully place it under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy.

But there is another milestone many parents don’t realize. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends children visit an orthodontist by age 7 to spot any problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth. When orthodontic problems are corrected early, it’s more likely your child can avoid the need for extensive future treatment.

It’s called Phase I Treatment, interceptive orthodontic treatment, or early orthodontic treatment, and is designed for kids ages 6 to 10. It takes place while the child has a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth and helps to properly form the jaw and allow the erupting permanent teeth to be guided into the proper position.

Phase I Treatment

  Phase I Treatment can help correct crossbites, underbites, deep bites, open bites, and protrusive incisors. It can also correct the damage caused by bad habits like thumb sucking, which can cause a child to have buck teeth and other malocclusions (problems with a person’s bite). Your orthodontist may recommend your child use a habit appliance to break a bad habit like thumb sucking, sucking on a blanket, or sucking too hard on an upper or lower lip.

Other types of appliances, such as palatal expanders, help to expand the jaw or, in the case of crowded teeth, help to open the bite and make room for the permanent teeth that are coming in. There are also appliances that do the opposite: if the teeth are spaced too far apart, the appliances can help close the bite.
Learn more about palatal expanders

Benefits of Phase I Treatment

Phase I Treatment usually lasts 12 to 18 months and can shorten or eliminate the amount of time your child may need braces once all the permanent teeth have erupted. Best of all, it places the teeth in a more stable position and can prevent bigger orthodontic problems from developing.

Call us today for a free orthodontic consultation. After speaking to one of our experienced orthodontists, you’ll have a better understanding of how we can help you achieve the best possible smile.

Related Articles

Early Orthodontic Evaluation Early detection of orthodontic problems in young children may make it easier to correct those problems in the long run. Waiting until all of the permanent (adult) teeth have come in, or until facial growth is nearly complete, may make correction of some problems more difficult or even impossible. An early childhood orthodontic evaluation can yield excellent results... Read Article

How Thumb Sucking Affects The Bite Thumb sucking can actually block the front teeth from erupting fully and can also push the teeth forward — sometimes more on the side where the thumb rested. How far out of position the teeth end up will depend on the number of hours per day the thumb was in the child's mouth and how much pressure was applied. When the pressure exerted by the thumb in the mouth is particularly strong and occurs over a long period of time, the forces can potentially influence growth of the jaws... Read Article

The Magic of Orthodontics Proper alignment of the teeth is basic to “Smile Design.” Their position dictates how they work together and affects the way you look and smile. Only orthodontic treatment can move teeth into the right position. Simply put, when things look right, they probably are right. Learn the basics of smile analysis and design and whether the magic of orthodontics will work for you... Read Article