PHASE I ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

Children should be evaluated by an orthodontist when they are about seven years old. The purpose of this evaluation is to identify problems that should be treated early in order to prevent bigger problems down the road.  At this age, the orthodontist can provide early treatment to influence the growth and development of the child’s teeth and jaws.

Early treatment is sometimes beneficial to help avoid tooth extractions and correct speech problems.  Early treatment can also help eliminate thumb-sucking habits, jaw asymmetries, and popping jaw joints.  If your child is having problems with chewing, mouth breathing, or biting, a visit to the orthodontist will be very helpful.

Once this evaluation takes place, it may mean that orthodontic treatment may need to take place in two-stages. A first phase of orthodontic treatment may prevent, intercept or minimize future orthodontic treatment. The first stage may be a process of guiding the growth of the jawbones that support the teeth. This is called “growth modification.” Then when the adult teeth have erupted through the gums, it may be time to do the second and final stage.

The first stage objective is to guide teeth and jaw development so that permanent teeth removal doesn’t become necessary and further growth results in a good fit between upper and lower jaws. Thus this initial phase involves diagnosis, planning for specific treatments, and use of orthodontic appliances for correction and alignment.

If you wait until your child's permanent (adult) teeth have all come in to start this process, it will be too late to correct some types of orthodontic problems, such as some types of malocclusions (“mal” – bad, “occlusion” – bite). It's better to work together with your child's stages of growth and development in order to have an optimum correction, both in looks and function.

You may be wondering whether a two-stage treatment costs twice as much. In fact, it is likely to be less expensive than a late one-stage treatment would be. Sometimes, the first stage may correct an underlying problem and make further treatment unnecessary. If a second phase is needed, it is likely to be easier and less costly.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your questions about orthodontia for your child.