Is Early Treatment Worthwhile?

1. What Is Early Treatment? In our practice, we find that approximately 40 percent of our patients can benefit from some form of early treatment. Early treatment prevents more serious problems from developing and makes treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
   Early treatment involves the use of orthodontic appliances, or partial braces, to guide the growth of developing jaw bones and create a better environment for the adult teeth as they emerge.
   In most cases, this early phase of treatment is followed by comprehensive orthodontic treatment (full braces) at the appropriate age. This second phase of treatment is usually shorter, less involved, and more effective due to the earlier treatment. This is usually referred to as “two phase” orthodontic therapy.
   In most of these cases, we can achieve results that wouldn’t be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing. Early treatment gives us the chance to:
   • Guide jaw growth.
   • Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth.
   • Correct harmful habits like thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, lip wedging.
   • Improve appearance and self-esteem.
   • Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position.
   • Improve the way lips meet.
2. The American Association of Orthodontists Recommendation: The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children should have an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. An experienced orthodontist can clearly see by age seven whether developmental issues can turn into problems. Early detection of common orthodontic problems such as crowding, premature loss of baby teeth, cross bites, or many other unfavorable developmental issues can lead to the implementation of the most appropriate treatment, that can result in a shorter course of therapy. The final result will be more stable, and in most cases the need for permanent tooth extractions can be eliminated.<BR>Frequently, no early intervention will be necessary, except careful monitoring of your child’s dental development. This will give you peace of mind when it is not clear to you whether an issue you see is really a problem or just a stage of development that doesn’t require intervention.