The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends that children visit an orthodontist as soon as their dentist notices that there might be a problem, or before they are seven years old. We may not have to do anything at this age, other than monitor the growth and eruption of adult teeth. However, if we continue to watch your child, we can start the treatment right away if the need arises.
- The primary goals of Early interceptive/Phase 1 treatment:
- Creating space for crowded teeth
- Creating facial symmetry through influencing jaw growth
- Reducing the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- Preserving space for unerupted adult teeth
- Reducing treatment time with braces /complexity of the problem for later to correct
Monitoring Phase
During this phase, we will monitor growth and eruption of permanent teeth to determine if second phase of orthodontic treatment is necessary. Meanwhile, we will be adjusting the retainer to maintain the results from phase one treatment.
Phase II
- Alignment of all permanent teeth
- Achieve settled balanced occlusion on both sides
- Create a pleasant smile enhancing the facial features.
AAO studies have shown that lack of early diagnosis and correction of orthodontic problems can create long term problems. Crossbites can result in unfavorable growth and uneven tooth wear, open bites can result in tongue thrust habits and speech impediments, crowding may lead to dental caries and gum diseases. We truly believe that orthodontic care is about more than just a pretty smile!
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