If you think that your child could benefit from orthodontic treatment you're probably wondering when the best time to begin treatment would be.
Every child's smile is unique. Deciding on the best time to begin orthodontic treatment for your child is going to depend on the severity and misalignment of their bite or teeth.
In the past, orthodontic treatment wouldn't begin until the child reached 12-14 years of age. This was to allow time for the child's permanent teeth to come in. However, this approach meant that it was common for permanent teeth to be removed in order to create room for tooth movement.
Today we take a different approach. 'Interceptive orthodontics' can begin as young as 7-11 years of age. The benefit of beginning treatment early are that we can both retain more of the adult teeth and correct problems before they become fully developed.
With interceptive orthodontics, orthodontic appliances (not always braces) are used while the baby teeth are still in place. Then, once the adult teeth come in, a second phase of orthodontic treatment begins, (usually traditional braces).
This 2 stage approach tends to lead to better results and allows for problems to be corrected with fewer adult teeth needing to be extracted.
Our dentists at Smile Town Burnaby can evaluate your child's teeth in order to determine whether your child is a candidate for treatment.
If your child's tooth alignment issues can be addressed by an orthodontic intervention, our team will explain how treatment could positively influence the development of your child's smile and discuss the appropriate treatment options with you.