La Habra/Chino Hills, CA – You may think you need to wait until your child’s baby teeth have all been replaced by permanent teeth to schedule the first orthodontic consultation. But did you know that the American Association of Orthodontists actually recommends that children should have their first orthodontic consultation by the age of seven?
“Seven may seem young to some people, but it’s actually the perfect age,” says Dr. Robert Gire of Gire Orthodontics. “At this age, a child will typically have some mix of baby and permanent teeth, which gives us a picture of how the mouth is shaping up. Do we put braces on every kid that walks in the practice? Of course not! We would ultimately prefer to wait for all the permanent teeth to be in prior to treatment, as long as their growth, jaw development, and eruption patterns, all indicate things are within normal limits.”
Some children may have severe issues that will only worsen as the permanent teeth come in, making early treatment important so the child can avoid more complicated treatment later.
In the case of severe crowding for instance, an orthodontist may recommend braces while there are still some baby teeth present. This will help make room for permanent teeth to erupt properly, and in some cases this early treatment actually helps the baby teeth become loose so they can fall out on their own without the need for an extraction procedure. We all know kids that really dislike wiggling their baby teeth out!
“You may have been taught the old way that all the permanent teeth need to be in before orthodontic treatment can begin,” says Dr. Gire. “For some patients, waiting until that happens is actually a disservice. Early interceptive treatment or Phase I treatment is very conservative and it’s very effective. Early or Phase I treatment can help create adequate spacing for permanent teeth to erupt, thereby creating a much better environment than if the teeth had been left to come in on their own.”
Early interceptive treatment is broken into two phases – the first allows for expansion and growth of the jaw and/or “dental development” to ensure there is enough room for permanent teeth to erupt, while the second phase works to straighten the teeth and correct the bite. Going through Phase I treatment often means the second phase will be much quicker and less complicated than it would have been.
Some may worry that this kind of two-phase treatment will be more expensive but it generally saves parents not only money, but time. If issues like overcrowding or crossbites are left for too long, serious issues can develop that can complicate and make the treatment last much longer. Two-phase orthodontic treatment means your child can have a beautiful, healthy smile as they enter into their adolescent years.
If your child is close to the age of seven, or over the age of seven and hasn’t had an orthodontic consultation yet, call today to schedule a complimentary visit. For many children, orthodontic treatment will not be required at this age. But for those who may develop serious issues later on, early treatment can lessen treatment times in the future.
To learn about all of the options available to you, call Gire Orthodontics today at 562-690-1199 (La Habra) or 909-393-9911 (Chino Hills).