What’s the Difference Between Early Orthodontic and Conventional Treatment?
Most dentists and orthodontists alike recommend that your child has his or her first orthodontic evaluation by age 7. This helps determine whether he or she has any potential issues with tooth alignment and spacing. If so, treating these problems as soon as possible will give your child a better chance of having a perfect smile later on.
Early Orthodontic Treatment – Why and When
Oftentimes, problems with tooth alignment are not limited to just the teeth. Early Orthodontics focuses on correcting issues with the bone structure supporting your child’s bite. It is possible to be born with a mouth too small for the teeth to naturally fit into alignment.
Early Orthodontics treatment may begin as young as age 7, or as late as age 10. The goal is to address problems while they’re still manageable. Early orthodontic treatment can prevent the need for corrective surgery and can make orthodontic treatment of adult teeth even easier.
During this stage, your child will also work on getting rid of habits such as mouth-breathing, thumb-sucking, and tongue-thrusting. These habits can affect the shape of the mouth and position of the teeth as your child grows.
Early Ortho is almost never all that’s needed. It only sets the stage for Conventional treatment and makes it easier.
Is Conventional Treatment Always Necessary?
You can look at Early Orthodontics as the process that adjusts and prepares the structures around the teeth. Conventional treatment then sets out to refine the positioning of the teeth themselves. The first lays the foundation, and the second is the construction of the dream home!
Conventional treatment usually involves full braces, so it’s only done once all the adult teeth have arrived. Between these two stages, your child will most likely need to wear a space maintainer or a retainer so that the progress made isn’t lost.
Get Started!
Has your son or daughter had their first orthodontic consultation yet? Plan a visit with us at Brackets Wires and Smiles. Don’t miss out on the chance to give your kids a beautiful smile for life!
