Early Treatment
Along with the American Association of Orthodontists, we recommend that a child receive their first orthodontic screening by the age 7. By screening your child early, we are able to recognize potential problems early on and correct them before they become more serious. This not only saves you and your child time, but also money.
Early interceptive orthodontic treatment has proven to be beneficial for the overall desired result. Because a young child's permanent teeth have not finished erupting, we are able to thoroughly evaluate the front-to-back and side-to-side tooth relationships and address any impending problems at its earliest stage.
During your child's initial evaluation we will first determine if there are any problems that need to be addressed, such as potential crowding, open bite, overbite or gummy smiles. It is possible that immediate treatment is not necessary at the time or even at all. However, if treatment is indicated, we will create a personalized treatment plan for your child that will prove to be the most beneficial for his/her specific case.
Early orthodontic treatment varies between patients, but may include removable or fixed appliances that can provide more room for crowded, erupting teeth; preserve space for unerupted teeth; create facial symmetry through manipulating jaw growth; reduce the possibility of tooth extraction; and reduce overall treatment time in braces.
To find out if your child is a candidate for early interceptive treatment, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Please see below a few orthodontic problems that benefit from being addressed at a younger age. Many of these problems can only be diagnosed if an X-Ray can be reviewed.
Anterior Open Bites
Open bites can be caused by oral habits like thumb sucking. Myofunctional training or appliances aim at eliminating these habits.
Anterior Crossbites
Anterior crossbites can cause incisal trauma. Often treatment for only a few weeks can correct this problem.
Missing Teeth
Taking a panoramic X-Ray at an early age will allow for the diagnosis of missing teeth.
Supernumerary Teeth
Supernumerary Teeth (Extra teeth) can often only be diagnosed on an X-Ray. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent negative effects on adjacent teeth
Ankylosed Teeth
Ankylosed teeth refer to teeth that are fused to the surrounding bone and can not erupt correctly. Extraction of these might be recommended in certain cases