(June 20, 2009; Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Forsyth, Cumming, Ga) The American Association of Orthodontists, and many other pediatric organizations, is recommending that children have his or her first orthodontic evaluation by age seven, or earlier if there are visible indications of orthodontic issues. Alpharetta orthodontist, Dr. Matt Walton states that there are 3 fundamental reasons for implementing orthodontic treatment in children:

To improve dental or teeth irregularities that affect facial appearance

To correct or improve function of the teeth

To eliminate bite problems that could damage the

long-term health of the teeth and gums

Some noticeable problems that may require orthodontic intervention at an early age include any one or more of the following: biting or speech problems, finger or dummy sucking habits that continue after 6 years old, sticking out front teeth, tooth spacing or crowding problems, baby teeth falling out too early or late, prolonged mouth breathing, jaw joints that click or are uncomfortable, misplaced or extra teeth, a weak or prominent jaw or other facial imbalance. Because your child doesn’t have any of these doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any orthodontic needs. There are a few problems that may be present even though the front teeth may appear to be straight.

Phase I, also called interceptive treatment, will typically begin when your child still has almost all of his or her baby teeth and maybe a few of the permanent adult front teeth. This usually occurs around age seven and is referred to as early mixed dentition. The target of interceptive treatment is to create space in the jaws for adult teeth and to help the upper and lower jaws relate to each other properly. Your child may require only the need to design a customised treatment plan to steer the existing teeth into the proper positions so that the adult teeth can come in correctly, or it may possibly involve the removal of some baby teeth to permit satisfactory space for the adult teeth. Interceptive treatment could also include a mixture of orthodontic treatments. The methods and timing used will be decided by your child’s specific orthodontic problem and unique personality.

With early treatment, the orthodontist can take advantage of a child’s expected growth, to make corrections that otherwise would not be possible in an older child. Waiting until the baby teeth have come out and permanent teeth have come in or until facial expansion is just about complete may make correction of some problems more difficult. Leaving some orthodontic problems untreated, such as a misalignment of the upper and lower jaws, could result in a problem too serious for braces alone to treat.

However, not all bite abnormalities need early treatment. Some problems can wait until almost all of the permanent teeth have grown in. Your orthodontist is best able to establish which problems require immediate treatment and which would be better treated at a later date. That’s why it’s so vital that your child have an orthodontic evaluation at an early age. In this way, you’ve got the option of starting treatment when it will most benefit your child.

The vital thing to bear in mind is that the final result of early treatment will be a better dental environment for the continued growth and eruption of the remaining teeth and an attractive, balanced face. The benefit of interceptive treatment for your child can be enormous. Following phase 1 or interceptive treatment your orthodontist will continue to monitor your child until the remaining permanent teeth erupt. Keep in mind that some children will require another stage of braces. Not all youngsters will need Phase II treatment but it is usually wise to expect it. It’s also vital to remember: Phase II treatment is not considered re-treatment of previous corrections.

Patients typically have roughly sixteen new permanent teeth that will erupt into the mouth after Phase I treatment ends. This does not include the third molars or wisdom teeth. It is awfully tough to get a parent to understand the fact that their child sometimes requires “two sets of braces”. However, early treatment can often eliminate or reduce the need to remove permanent teeth later on in Phase 2.

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