Early Treatment – Phase One
Early Orthodontic Treatment is usually recommended for patients around the age of
7. In more severe cases your General Dentist may recommend an Orthodontic evaluation
before the age of 7. Early Orthodontic Treatment usually involves the straightening
of the front permanent teeth or the use of different orthodontic appliances to correct
your child’s bite relationship or a habit appliance. Thumb sucking, pacifier, tongue
thrust and mouth breathing are habits in which your child may need early orthodontic
treatment. You may wonder how will I know if my child may need early orthodontic
treatment? Listed below are some signs that may be helpful to recognize if your
child may need early treatment:
- Look at your child’s teeth. Do they appear crooked, have gaps between them, or are
they overlapped? This may be a sign of early orthodontic treatment.
- Have your child bite down all the way, keeping their lips open. Do the front top
teeth line up with the bottom? Do the top teeth protrude out away from the bottom
teeth? Do the top front teeth cover more than 50% of the bottom teeth? Are the top
teeth behind the bottom teeth? If you see any of these conditions you should schedule
an appointment for your child to be evaluated by an orthodontist.
- Notice the alignment of your child’s jaw. Does the jaw shift off center when your
child bites down? If you see any malalignment or shifting of the jaw your child
may have a skeletal problem.
Other signs to look for:
- Early or late loss of primary teeth
- Difficulty in biting or chewing
- Mouth breathing
- Finger or thumb sucking habits beyond the age of 5
- Speech difficulty
- Biting the cheek or roof of the mouth
- Protruding teeth
- Teeth that don’t meet in a normal matter or don’t meet at all
Note: These are only some of the most obvious signs. Other signs that may
be less noticeable would be detected by the orthodontist at your initial consultation.
Please call Drs. Davis and Nyczepir's office today to schedule you free initial consultation
and records (Photos, X-Rays, Impressions) a $300 value.
