EARLY TREATMENT

Making Future Treatment Easier, Starting At Age 7

Early interceptive treatment

Early interceptive treatment can reduce the risk of concerns such as crowded teeth, crooked teeth and gaps. Scheduling a consultation with an orthodontist can help determine if your child needs treatment.

Not every child needs early interceptive treatment, but there are times when it is necessary to ensure permanent teeth come in correctly. Early evaluation is the way to maximize your child’s chances of having a healthy, functional and aesthetically pleasing lifelong smile.

At the end of Phase 1 treatment, your child will have a resting period to allow all of the baby teeth to fall out and most of the permanent teeth to erupt.

When Should My Child First Visit An Orthodontist

Early treatment begins with an early orthodontic evaluation. The American Association of Orthodontists and Steel City Orthodontics recommend children be evaluated by an orthodontist around age 7. At age 7, most children have lost some baby teeth and have some permanent teeth making it the ideal time for an orthodontist to examine their mouth. By looking at their teeth, the orthodontist can determine whether your child is a candidate for early interceptive treatment, also known as Phase 1 treatment.

What Is Early Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment

Early orthodontic treatment refers to orthodontic treatment before all of the adult teeth have erupted. By intervening at this point, we can prevent improper growth and misalignment of permanent teeth. There are different options available in early orthodontic treatment, depending on the child’s specific issue. The three most common types of treatment include wearing a palatal expander, partial braces and a retainer. The primary goal is to address skeletal issues with the jaw and alignment before or soon after permanent teeth emerge.

Another goal of early interceptive treatment is to ensure there is adequate space for all of the permanent teeth. Children can have a narrow upper arch from thumb-sucking or pacifier use, causing decreasing the space for permanent teeth. When caught early, an orthodontist can place an appliance in the upper arch designed to slowly expand it and create space for permanent teeth. Early evaluation is the way to maximize your child’s chances of having a healthy, functional and aesthetically pleasing lifelong smile.

When Is Early Treatment Necessary?

Not all children need early orthodontic treatment, but many children benefit from early orthodontic intervention. Scheduling a consultation with an orthodontist can help determine if your child needs treatment. Many things may indicate your child could benefit from expanding the upper arch. Here are a few of the most common conditions that may indicate early evaluation is necessary:

  • Difficulty chewing or biting

  • Crowded teeth

  • Open bite – where front teeth do not meet, and it looks like there is a hole

  • Protruding teeth, overbite

  • Thumbsucking

  • Pacifier use

  • Speech impediments

  • Mouth breathing

  • Teeth that don’t come together in a normal manner or even at all

  • Shifting of the jaw when your child opens or closes their mouth (crossbites)

  • Early or late loss of baby teeth

Benefits Of Early Orthodontic Treatment

There are many benefits of early treatment, including:

  • Creating space for larger permanent teeth

  • Create ideal facial symmetry by guiding jaw growth and development

  • Preserve space for teeth not yet erupted

  • Improve breathing

  • Negate or reduce treatment time in teen years (Phase 2)

  • Decrease risk of trauma to protruding upper front teeth

  • Elimination of destructive behaviors like thumbsucking

  • Eliminating jaw shifts that affect normal growth and development 

  • Prevention of unwanted tooth movement 

  • Boost of self-confidence of the patient

If your child has any of the above conditions, Steel City Orthodontics recommends consultation with one of our orthodontists. Please call us at (724) 941-9600 for more information.

What To Expect In Early Treatment

After an examination with digital x-rays and images, Steel City Orthodontics will be able to determine if your child is a candidate for early interceptive treatment. If your child needs early orthodontic treatment, we will determine the appropriate treatment plan.

Palatal Expander

A palatal expander slowly widens the upper arch to make room for larger permanent teeth. We will take an impression of your child’s teeth to create a customized dental appliance for your child. Palatal expansion addresses orthodontic conditions such as crossbite, crowding and impacted teeth. Early treatment usually takes about six months, but the appliance will be left in for about a year.

Partial Braces

Partial braces are a form of early orthodontic intervention used to move the teeth when they are rotated, spaced or misaligned. Braces can be placed on the upper or lower front teeth and usually involve only 4 to 6 brackets.

Retainers

Retainers will be used to maintain the correction that has been achieved during early treatment while the permanent teeth begin to erupt. Eventually, as the permanent teeth come in, retainers will stop fitting correctly. The orthodontist will check the patient’s bite every four to six months during this period and let you know when it is time to stop wearing this retainer.

If you have any questions about early treatment, please call Steel City Orthodontics today at (724) 941-9600.

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