Early Treatment
Early Treatment (preventative orthodontics), can be initiated for very young patients to prevent abnormal jaw development and create space for the permanent teeth before they erupt. We prefer to see children by the age of five to assess whether the jaws are growing properly. In cases of severe jaw imbalance, he treats children as young as 3 years of age.
Ninety percent of facial growth occurs before the age of twelve, the same age at which the last few permanent teeth erupt into the mouth. Early treatment captures the growth time. Traditional orthodontics that begins after eruption of the permanent teeth usually requires the extraction of four premolars and movement of the remaining teeth into alignment. The patient has straight teeth and a more attractive lip line and smile, but the extractions compromise the integrity of the jaws and the occlusion, as well as the maintenance of the correction. Teeth which are moved after they have erupted fully into the mouth have a tendency to move back into their original position. Jaws left to grow disproportionately often require surgical correction.
Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment
- Eliminates the need to pull permanent teeth.
- Provides facial growth guidance and ideal jaw development.
- A Healthier bite provides more stability for the Temporomandibular Joints.
- More stable result – less tendency for long term shifting of the teeth.
- Muscle development provides better facial contours and a more attractive face and smile.
- Eliminates the need for more complex facial aesthetic procedures and/or jaw surgery..
Early Intervention Treatment, between 6 to 10 years of age helps ensure ideal results. By starting early, while the face is in its most active stage of growth, the muscles and bones can be guided to ideal contours and function. Growing the bones to ideal positions provides adequate room for all the teeth to fit and provides for optimum facial aesthetics.
The long term results are more beautiful faces, prettier smiles and a more stable, healthier bite. There are all positives and no negatives to early treatment. Depending on how early treatment is started and the child’s development, treatment is often broken up into two short phases, rather than one long treatment. The end result is the best treatment that orthodontics can provide