While orthodontics has traditionally been a dental discipline focused on teenagers, advances in the field are providing options for younger teens and children as young as seven-years-old. In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) encourages parents to schedule their child’s first orthodontic appointment by age seven. Our orthodontist in Rocklin frequently consults with parents and young children and has had excellent results with early orthodontic interventions.
Some parents are surprised that children who still have many baby teeth can benefit from an orthodontist. Here are some of the ways interceptive orthodontic treatment can help younger kids.
• Gives orthodontists opportunities to guide the adult teeth into proper position in your child’s mouth
• Direct jaw growth to make sure there will be room for the permanent teeth as they arrive
• Adjust various bite problems such as a deep bite, open bite, or cross bite
• Reduce potential damage to protruding teeth
• Lessen the need for future, more extreme orthodontic intervention
There are several reasons that our orthodontist would recommend treatment for a younger child including:
• Cross bites
• Crowding
• Deep bites
• Missing teeth
• Open bites
• Overjets
• Problems with tooth spacing
• Teeth erupting in the wrong order
If the consultation shows any of those conditions, the typical course of action is the two-phase orthodontic treatment for children. This process allows preliminary procedures to be completed early so if braces or other work is necessary, the duration should be shorter.
PHASE ONE-
The initial part of the two-phase treatment starts while your child has their primary teeth. Because the mouth and jaw are still developing, our dentist can guide and adjust the teeth and jaw. This preempts and often stops orthodontic misalignments in the future.
PHASE TWO-
The second part of this treatment takes place when the primary teeth are gone. Your child will get braces at this time, but because of the work in phase one, these braces will perform efficiently, and the time spent in braces will be shorter.
Early orthodontic treatment is an important part of preparing your child’s mouth for future procedures, as well as making any necessary orthodontic work faster and simpler. Please contact our office if you would like more information about early orthodontic treatment.