Your child should have an Orthodontic screening by the age of 7- yes when they still have baby teeth! These recommendations come straight from the American Association of Orthodontists and the clinical experience of Dr. Kyle Aten.
Early diagnosis and phase one treatment Phase 1 orthodontics treatment is initiated while primary teeth (baby teeth) are still present. It is recommended to address certain dental issues early to have a more efficient and effective overall treatment time. Our goal is to save you time and money with your orthodontic treatment.
Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems.
We will create a treatment plan and use custom made appliances to guide erupting teeth into a more favorable position, preserve space for permanent teeth, and reduce the likelihood of fracturing protruded front teeth. Examples of these appliances include braces, an expander, a holding arch or a space maintainer. Check out our facebook, Instagram and other blog posts to learn more about these!
In other words, early treatment can simplify later phase two treatment by stacking the deck in our favor. If your child does not need early intervention, they will be placed into our Orthodontic Observation Program. Your child will be placed on a custom recall interval which will allow Dr. Aten to monitor growth and determine the optimum time to begin treatment and achieve the best possible result for your child.