Why have an early Orthodontic evaluation?

The American Association of Orthodontists recommend all children get a check up with an orthodontic specialist no later than age 7 for the following reasons:

• Orthodontists can spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present.
• While your childs teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.  Children sometimes exhibit early signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. An upper or lower jaw that is growing too much or not enough, or is too wide, too narrow, or crooked can be recognized at an early age.
• A checkup may reveal that your child's bite is fine.  Or, the orthodontist may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring the childs growth and development.
• Early treatment may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.  In some cases, the orthodontist will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaw have finished growing.

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
• Create a more pleasing arrangement of teeth, lips and face

Through an early orthodontic evaluation, you'll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy beautiful smile.

Why have early, or phase one, Orthodontic treatment?

Because children are growing rapidly, they can benefit enormously from an early (interceptive) phase one of orthodontic/orthopedic treatment.  Orthodontic appliances can be used to correct the jaw shape and direct the growth toward an ideal relationship between the upper and lower jaws.  A good foundation can be established thereby providing adequate room for eruption of all the permanent teeth.

Early interceptive treatment can prevent:

    1.  The later removal of permanent teeth to correct overcrowding

    2.  Surgical procedures to align the upper and lower jaws

Interceptive treatment can also decrease the time necessary for the second phase of treatment.  Leaving a malocclusion untreated until all of the permanent teeth erupt could result in a jaw discrepancy too severe to allow achievement of an ideal result with braces alone.

It is important to understand that at the end of phase one treatment, teeth are not in their final positions.  This will be determined and accomplished in the second phase of treatment to achieve the final esthetics, both facial and dental, and the ideal bite.