The Dental Ark 915.855.2337 
While every dentist’s ultimate objective is a mouth full of healthy, straight teeth, orthodontic treatments offer more than just the cosmetic attraction of a flawless smile.
Orthodontics can not only correct and prevent crowding, alignment, and spacing of your child’s teeth, but they can also cure and prevent major developmental disorders affecting their jaw joints and muscles.
Did you know that orthodontic treatments are divided into two phases?
While some children require phase 2 orthodontic treatment, such as fixed braces, once they have all of their adult teeth, others require therapy sooner.
What are the advantages of phase one orthodontics?
You might be wondering why your child needs this therapy before they have all of their adult teeth. It’s straightforward:
Interceptive orthodontics (also known as phase 1 orthodontics) helps to prevent more serious problems later in life.
The good news is that early therapy in phase 1 not only reduces the time of phase 2 treatment but also prevents the emergence of really serious problems.
These problems could include:
Underbites
Bite size
Jaws that are out of proportion
Thumb sucking and tongue practices can be harmful.
Teeth that protrude
Severe tooth crowding Phase 1 orthodontic treatment is critical in many cases, as these abnormalities may require extensive treatment, may not be able to be rectified at all, or may necessitate surgery.
In a nutshell, some moderate or severe disorders should not be left untreated until your child is older.
The paediatric orthodontists at Happy Kids Dental are always looking out for your child’s best interests. It’s constantly top of mind to provide the best service at the correct moment.
Which leads us to the next point:
What is the average age of children who receive phase 1 orthodontic treatment?
Around the age of six, we recommend bringing your child in for an evaluation. Phase 1 orthodontic treatment normally begins between the ages of six and twelve years old and lasts nine to eighteen months, depending on the severity of the problem.
What are the advantages?
We indicated that phase one orthodontics can help your child avoid needing more extensive treatment in the future. But what other advantages does it have? Treatment in the first phase could include:
- Reduce the duration and breadth of phase 2 treatment.
- Adjust your child's bite so that all teeth are under equal pressure, preventing jaw muscle and joint problems.
- Improve the width of your child's dental arch to avoid the necessity for permanent teeth extraction in the future.
- Improving speech impairments is a must.
- Reduce the risk of misplaced or protruding teeth being injured.
- Make room for permanent adult teeth and assist in guiding them into desirable places.
Do you have a six-year-old or older child? Make an appointment with us now for an orthodontic evaluation!
