Early Orthodontic Treatment for Children – Phase One

Early orthodontics, also known as interceptive orthodontics or Phase One, is a form of dental prevention for children as young as seven years old. This is different from regular orthodontic treatment because it helps prevent future dental issues that may appear or develop in adulthood.

Make sure your child goes through a thorough dental examination that can help the orthodontist decide if a treatment is required. Because at a younger age the child’s jaws are softer and not yet fully developed, the consequences of any dental issue will be less severe. Early treatment would prevent the adult you from more complicated dental interventions like surgeries and teeth extraction as well as save you from future costs.

Here are some signs that can tell you whether your child might need an orthodontic treatment:

• Early (before age five) or late (after age six) loss of baby teeth;
• Breathing through the mouth;
• Thumb sucking or tongue thrusting;
• Speech impediment;
• Biting or chewing difficulties;
• Crowded, crooked, or misplaced teeth;
• Extreme grinding or clenching of the teeth;
• An unbalanced relationship between jaws and teeth;
• Protruding teeth;
• Teeth that don’t meet properly.

Early treatment aims to correct some of these issues and to ensure the dental health and overall well-being of the child growing up. The causes for orthodontic problems can be some of the above, but they can also be inherited or caused by injuries and accidents. This kind of treatment involves the use of orthodontic appliances among which the most common are braces in order to create the right environment for permanent teeth to erupt and develop.

The benefits of interceptive orthodontics run deep. First of all, early treatment equals less treatment later and fewer dental problems. The main advantage is that the jaws are still soft so the required treatment will be shorter and demand less involvement.

Also, wearing braces from an early age means the child or teenager will grow up into a confident adult with an exuberant smile, a healthy mouth, well-adjusted teeth, as well as with fewer chances of going through an extraction or surgery later on in life. And let’s not forget that delayed treatment also means higher costs.

Other significant benefits include space maintenance (passive appliances that help teeth grow straighter), partial braces for crowded front teeth, maxillary protraction (upper jaw that needs to be reshaped), and palatal expansion which may fix cross bites.

If you believe your child may experience with some of the issues listed above or if you simply want to learn more about early orthodontics treatment, don’t hesitate to contact us. Hanover dental prevention is only one of the many exquisite services we offer to our clients. You may schedule an appointment at one of our three offices located in Hanover, York, and Red Lion. Choose to protect your child’s smile and the rewards will be multiple