Early Orthodontics Ages 6-10

OUR OBJECTIVE

...is always to have braces on the least amount of time needed to achieve the finest benefits possible of beauty and health.

The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that every child first visit an orth­odontist at age 7. This may surprise you because orthodontic treatment in the past was generally associated with adolescence. Orthodontics can improve smiles at any age, but there is usually a best age for treatment to begin.

With the benefit of an examination and diagnosis at age 7, an orthodontist can determine how, when and if a child needs treatment for maximum improvement with the least pos­sible time and expense.

A beautiful smile and well functioning teeth and jaws involves facial balance. In some cases, early treatment achieves results that are unattainable once the face and jaws have stopped growing. Having all growth potential of the child available allows the orthodontist to prevent distorted growth patterns from developing and improve muscle habits and tooth relationships.

THE FIRST VISIT

Your child's visit and examination at age 7 will be an exciting and pleasant experience. After evaluating your child, the orthodontist may simply want to check your child periodi­cally while the permanent teeth erupt and the jaws and face continue to grow. Approxi­mately 33% of children under early observation and evaluation do not require any active treatment.

Another 33% may require very simple limited interceptive treatment some time between the ages of 6 to 10 to maintain acceptable circumstances, guide facial growth and tooth eruption, thereby preventing more serious problems from developing. This early interven­tion frequently makes the completion of treatment at a later age easier, less time consum­ing and less expensive.

The remaining 33% may benefit from more comprehensive interceptive treatment prior to age 10 to prevent a problem from becoming more severe and to provide a better environ­ment for achieving optimal results at a later age.

EARLY WARNING SIGNS

Although age 7 is usually the best time for the majority of children to have their first orth­odontic examination, a visit at an even younger age is advisable when a particular problem is first noted by the parent, family dentist or child's physician. This could be any deviation from the ideal environment affecting the teeth and jaws.

The following early warning signs may indicate that your child should have an orthodontic examination as soon as possible:

•  Difficulty in chewing

• Open-mouth breathing

• Thumb or finger sucking

•  Overlapping or crowding of erupting permanent teeth, congenitally missing teeth.

• Jaws that tend to click or pop

• A developing underbite, overbite, protruding front teeth, or other abnormal bite development

TWO PHASE ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

A typical two phase treatment for those 33% of the patients who need early comprehensive treatment consists of a first phase of approximately twelve to eighteen months of active orthodontics in the mixed dentition (permanent and baby teeth are present). This is fol­lowed by a year or two in simple appliances to optimize growth while the permanent teeth erupt. The second and final phase of active orthodontic treatment follows the intermediate period and usually takes approximately one to one and one half years.

Occasionally when a patient is being treated with a two phase treatment program, the permanent teeth erupt more rapidly than anticipated. If this situation should occur, the parents are advised at a second consultation and the patient will continue directly into the second phase of treatment without removing the orthodontic appliances.

ORTHODONTIC CHECK UP

Every child should be checked by an orthodontist at a young age just as every child should have a medical physical every year. The orthodontist will do a thorough evaluation of exist­ing relationships, skeletal bone development, maturation rate and will forecast how the child's teeth and jaws will look and function as a young adult. He may prescribe observa­tion only, minor interceptive treatment or more comprehensive interceptive treatment to achieve the OPTIMAL RESULT FOR YOUR CHILD WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE WORK, TIME AND EXPENSE.