Early Treatment
Early orthodontic intervention is essentially orthodontic treatment while there are still baby teeth present. The goal of early treatment is to intercept developing problems and eliminate the cause.
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that children be seen by the age of 7. By the age of 7 there are enough permanent teeth for Dr. Ward to evaluate the developing teeth and jaw for concerns that may be problematic in the future.
First Appointment
Your first appointment will result in one of the following outcomes:
- No treatment is currently necessary.
- Some treatment may be needed, but we will keep monitoring to determine the extent.
- Early orthodontic treatment is recommended.
Issues Requiring Early Treatment
While there are many orthodontic issues that can wait to be corrected until all the permanent teeth are in, early treatment is beneficial when the problem may cause serious issues in the future. Some problems that may need early treatment are:
- Underbites: when the lower teeth are in front of the top teeth
- Crossbite: A misalignment when upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth on opposite sides
- Very crowded teeth
- Excessively spaced teeth
- Extra or missing teeth
- Open or abnormal bites
- Thumb, finger, or pacifier sucking that is causing the jaw to grow abnormally
Early treatment can take on many forms. Sometimes it can be in the form of a fixed appliance used to widen or move the jaw into the desired position. Sometimes removal of selected baby teeth is the best course of action. The extraction of these baby teeth will help the permanent teeth come into the right position. Whatever course of action is taken, some orthodontic issues are easier to take care of if you catch the problem early on.
We offer free consultations to see if your child would benefit from early orthodontic intervention. Give our office a call to get set up today. (208) 734-4314.
