Early, or interceptive, treatment is geared towards managing conditions including, but not limited to, early loss of baby teeth, functional issues (chewing, breathing), jaw misalignment, and trauma-prone tooth protrusion. Early (Phase I) orthodontic treatment may be advantageous to your child as they are in the midst of growth and tooth eruption. Skeletal growth can be monitored and jaws directed into alignment. Eruption sequence may be planned to efficiently guide teeth into proper position. Detection and correction of potential problems before they become more serious can ultimately help save time and money by potentially shortening duration of full treatment, even reducing or eliminating the possible need for tooth extractions.
Two-phase orthodontic treatment consists of consecutive treatment stages separated by a resting “interphase” period:
Phase I: Typically lasting a year or less, orthodontic intervention may include skeletal growth modification, correction of specific types of bite issues, and guidance of tooth eruption.
Resting (Interphase) Period: Ending when all or most of the primary (baby) teeth are lost, the resting, or interphase, period is the time between completion of Phase I and the beginning of Phase II. The patient will usually be instructed to wear a retainer or space maintainer to preserve the skeletal change achieved in Phase I and to facilitate favorable tooth eruption.
Phase II: When your child begins Phase II treatment, our orthodontists begin by re-evaluating their teeth and jaws. With the orthodontic groundwork laid in Phase I, Phase II is full treatment generally focused on improving tooth alignment, bite coordination and aesthetics to attain a result where the teeth are in harmony with the face. After achieving a beautiful outcome, patient’s will then receive retainers to keep their teeth looking great!
Call, click or come in to schedule your child’s free initial consultation. If our doctors see an advantage to your child receiving early (Phase I) orthodontics, options will be reviewed including Invisalign® First – a potentially more efficient, hygienic, and comfortable approach.
