​Early Orthodontic Treatment

The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends all children get a check-up with an orthodontic specialist no later than age 7.  Some of the benefits of early orthodontic evaluation include detection of subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present.

There are usually three possible results from an initial checkup:

• No treatment is expected to be necessary.
• No treatment is advised at this time, but treatment may be needed in the future. A periodic follow up of the growth of the child is recommended as the face and jaws continue to grow.
• There is a problem and your child would benefit from early treatment at this time.

​If your child does indeed have need for early treatment, early treatment may enable the orthodontist to prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing. The following are examples of what the orthodontist can accomplish with early treatment:

• Guide jaw growth
• Lower the risk of trauma to protruding front teeth
• Correct harmful oral habits
• Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position

It is important to note that most children who receive early treatment will likely need additional orthodontic treatment at a later age after most or all of their adult teeth have emerged. This second round of treatment is made relatively shorter and less complicated due to the benefits of the early treatment. This is also referred to as Phase 2 treatment.