Although most pediatric orthodontic treatments are for when kids already have their permanent teeth, it can be beneficial to seek corrective dental work earlier. By the time when children are seven years old, a dentist can know how their mouths would soon develop. Interceptive orthodontics in Mississauga can most likely correct issues that would require or need more attention if they were left until later.
Benefits of Interceptive Orthodontics
With interceptive orthodontics, your dentist can accurately predict how permanent teeth will soon develop. This enables the dentist to start planning for better arrangement of your teeth, to reduce risk of damage of protruding teeth, and to ensure the jaw is able to accommodate all teeth.
Interceptive orthodontics are ideal for a range of problems, including open, deep, and cross bite, crowding, spacing, incorrect sequence of emerging teeth, missing teeth, and ankylosed teeth. It can also correct for issues due to bad habits, such as thumb sucking and tongue pushing.
All this can reduce the need for future dental work. If your child waits to receive orthodontic treatment when permanent teeth have already been erupted, dental correction will be more extensive, invasive, and expensive.
The Two-Phase Approach
In the two-phase approach, children receive treatment when they have primary teeth and then again when permanent teeth have come through. The two phases are timed to complement one another.
In the first stage, the dentist works on enabling proper biting, correcting bad habits, guiding permanent teeth into a better position, and, whenever possible, stopping problems from ever developing. It also focuses on the jawbone, guiding growth to ensure the jaw can support teeth and ensure they erupt straight and aligned.
The second stage involves shifting permanent teeth into their final position and continuing any treatment necessary to enhance teeth function and facial appearance.
