Early Orthodontic Treatment

Building A Foundation For A Healthy Smile

Early Orthodontic Treatment

Set your child up for success with early orthodontic treatment in Wichita, Kansas.

Right here at Smiles Orthodontics, we can help your child develop their smile before they ever need braces, meaning they can avoid longer orthodontic treatments when they get older. If a child needs early orthodontic treatment, it’s often preventative. Orthodontists can intercept some problems and solve some issues quicker and easier when the patient is young rather than waiting until they’re a teenager. If the orthodontist determines your child needs early treatment, we will discuss the best steps to take toward caring for your child’s smile. If it’s determined your child does not need treatment, we will monitor them for the next few years so that orthodontic treatment can begin if needed.

If your child is between 7 and 8, your dentist has told you to see an orthodontist, or you are concerned about your child’s teeth and jaw, contact us for a consultation.

When Should I Take My Child To The Orthodontist?

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that your child should see an orthodontist for the first time by the age of seven. While it’s rare that a child needs full orthodontic treatment at this time, this is the age where our expert orthodontists in Wichita, KS, can detect, diagnose and treat the first signs of orthodontic problems related to the development of the teeth and jaw.

Why 7? Many parents are surprised to hear that they should be taking their child to the orthodontist so early. However, by the age of 7, your child will usually have enough of their “permanent” adult teeth for our team to get a clear understanding of their oral development, including any budding issues that could get worse with time. If left unresolved at this young age, these issues can lead to longer, more involved and even more expensive orthodontic treatment once your child becomes a candidate for full orthodontic treatment like braces or aligners. 

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Early Orthodontic Treatment?

Not all children need early orthodontic treatment, but only an orthodontist can tell you for sure. By examining the child’s mouth and reviewing X-rays and scans of the teeth and jaw, an orthodontist is specifically trained to recognize if a child will benefit from early treatment.

The following are some signs your child may need treatment:

  • Difficulty chewing or biting
  • Mouth breathing
  • Continues sucking their thumb after age five
  • Speech impediments
  • Protruding teeth (the top teeth and the bottom teeth extend away from each other)
  • Teeth that don’t come together in a normal manner or even at all
  • Crossbite (the jaw shifts when your child opens and/or closes their mouth)
  • Crowded front teeth
  • Early or late loss of baby teeth (typically, children start losing teeth around age five and will have all permanent teeth around age 13)

Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment

  • Ensures proper chewing and biting
  • Stops poor oral habits like thumb sucking or tongue thrust
  • Intercepts developing skeletal problems such as underbite, severe overbite, crossbite
  • Guides jaw growth
  • Makes room to alleviate crowding
  • Prevents protruding front teeth from becoming damaged
  • Minimizes the need for corrective jaw surgery or extractions
  • Helps with speech and breathing
  • Makes braces or clear aligner treatment during adolescence more efficient and cost-effective
  • Improves self-esteem and confidence

What Happens During Early Orthodontic Treatment

Early orthodontic treatment, also called Phase 1 orthodontic treatment, is designed for young children who still have some or all of their primary teeth. Some things, like a severe crossbite, teeth that protrude, crowding, underbite or overbite, are much easier to correct if addressed early. There are several orthodontic treatment options based on patients’ specific needs. Early treatment typically starts when the child is between seven and ten years of age, and generally lasts about one year. Since your child’s mouth is still developing, orthodontic appliances can be used to guide jaw growth and influence the position of their permanent teeth. Phase 1 orthodontic treatment uses appliances or limited braces with the primary goal of addressing skeletal jaw alignment before or soon after permanent teeth emerge. Common treatment options include partial braces, a retainer and a palatal expander.

Types of Early Orthodontic Treatment

Palatal Expander

Palatal expansion is used to make the upper jaw wider and help to reduce crowding in abnormally narrow arches. By using a palatal expander while a patient is still growing, the growth plate in the middle of the palate (the roof of the mouth) can easily be stretched, and the two halves are pushed apart because these bones don’t fuse until puberty. As the two halves are spread, new bone is formed in the palate.

Palatal expansion may reduce the need for extractions and prevent impacted teeth. Narrow jaws that are not corrected early may require surgery for correction later and may lead to abnormal wear or bite problems.

Partial Braces

Partial braces are used to move the teeth and may be necessary if teeth are rotated, spaced or misaligned. They can be placed on the upper or lower front teeth and usually involve only 4 to 6 brackets to provide early minor correction to crooked teeth. Back brackets on the molars anchor the wire to pull the front few teeth in line.

These braces are only used for a short period to straighten teeth into the correct positions, usually between 10 and 12 months. Partial braces at an early age make full orthodontic treatment more efficient by helping to fix more severe issues before they become more difficult to correct.

Retainer

Sometimes, retainers will be fit to maintain the position of the teeth while waiting for the permanent teeth to erupt. Different types of retainers are used to maintain the correction of different problems. These retainers are usually only worn at night while sleeping.

Phase 1 retainers are relatively temporary. The patient’s bite will be checked every four to six months until the orthodontist decides it is time to stop wearing this retainer. Wearing a retainer as a child may not replace the need for braces later on, but it will make the braces treatment faster and more effective.

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Smiles Orthodontics