Big LOve for little teeth.
You’ll love our conservative approach to early orthodontic treatment.
The early treatment game plan.
Early ("Phase I") treatment may be advantageous to your child as they grow and develop skeletally and dentally. It is important to understand that Phase I treatment is NOT for the purpose of merely straightening primary ("baby") teeth or even permanent teeth as they erupt. Rather, it is aimed at managing conditions such as early loss of primary teeth, functional issues (chewing, breathing), trauma-prone tooth protrusion, and jaw malalignment. Through proper monitoring of development, jaws can more easily be brought into alignment and tooth eruption sequence can be better planned to bring teeth into position. Early detection and correction of certain conditions can help save time and money by potentially shortening overall duration of treatment, reducing or eliminating the possible need for extractions, and even avoiding surgery.
Phase I:
Lasting about 10-12 months, Phase I may include skeletal growth modification, correction of certain bite issues, and/or guidance of tooth eruption.
Interphase Retention:
During the “break” between the end of Phase I and the beginning of Phase II when all, or most, of the primary teeth have been lost, patients are instructed to wear a retainer or space maintainer to preserve any skeletal change achieved in Phase I and to facilitate favorable tooth eruption.
Phase II:
Beginning with a consult to re-evaluate the teeth and jaws as a result of the groundwork laid in Phase I, Phase II focuses on tooth alignment, bite coordination, and aesthetics to achieve harmony between the teeth and face.