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Receiving orthodontic treatment in the childhood years is a great way to help a child achieve a healthy, beautiful smile and avoid potential future oral problems.
By taking care of dental and alignment issues early on, our orthodontist can help your child have a happy, healthy smile for life, in addition to several other benefits.
Providing Early Treatment & Avoiding Future Damage
Many orthodontic problems begin to present themselves at an early age. By bringing your child in for early treatment, our orthodontist can catch problems and provide the necessary treatment early on. In the long run, this can help your child avoid more complex and severe damage later in life.
Saves Money
Diagnosing and treating orthodontic issues early on can help your family save money in the long run. If orthodontic issues are not treated early, they can become more severe and require more complex – and more expensive – treatments to correct.
Faster & Easier Treatments
Because a child’s mouth is still growing, it can be corrected easier and faster. This makes the orthodontic treatment better for both parent and child.
I can't believe how good my teeth look
After suffering from multiple dental issues and not getting any relief from the dentist I had gone to in the past, I decided to see if American Dental could help. Now, I'm able to smile which I was always embarrassed to do before. I can't believe how good my teeth look!
About Early Orthodontics
Our orthodontist can help you know if your child requires orthodontic care and at what age
First Orthodontic Consultation
Generally, our orthodontist recommends that you bring your child in for their first orthodontic consultation around the age of seven. At this age, your child’s mouth is developed enough that signs of developing problems begin to emerge. During your child’s consultation, we will examine your child’s mouth to diagnose any problems and determine their severity to know if and when your child needs orthodontic treatment.
Reasons For Early Orthodontic Care
There are several reasons why your child may require orthodontic treatment. Some of these reasons include the early, late or irregular loss of primary teeth; difficulty chewing or eating; breathing through the mouth; protruding teeth; thumb or finger sucking past the age of five; an overbite or underbite; misplaced, crowded or crooked teeth; and teeth or jaws that are disproportioned with the rest of the facial features.
Two-Phase Treatment
In many cases, children who require orthodontia receive a two-phase treatment. Phase One focuses on correcting bite-related problems and guiding the jaw’s growth patterns. This phase of treatment may also include widening the mouth to provide more room for the teeth to come in. Phase Two typically begins in the early teenage years as the mouth’s growth begins to slow down. This phase usually involves braces to straighten the teeth.
Types of Early Orthodontic Treatments
We offer a variety of orthodontic treatments and appliances to help your child achieve a healthier, more beautiful smile
Palatal Expanders & Space Maintainers
If your child’s mouth is too small to comfortably fit all of their permanent teeth, our orthodontist may recommend a palatal expander. This appliance is attached to the back teeth and runs across the roof of the mouth. With regular adjustments, the expander slowly widens the upper palate to provide more room for permanent teeth. If a baby tooth is lost prematurely, your child may need a space maintainer to help prevent the rest of their teeth from moving out of place. Space maintainers also help ensure that the permanent tooth erupts where the baby tooth was lost.
Headgear
Headgear is often used in combination with other orthodontic appliances. Typically, head gear will attach to your child’s appliance to help guide the upper, lower or both jaws into their proper positions.
Bite Plate
A bite place is a small appliance that helps correct deep overbites. The appliance attaches to the inside surface of the upper front teeth.
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