Thursday, March 25, 2010

When are Two Phases of Orthodontic Treatment Necessary?


Usually patients being treated with braces already have their permanent teeth, but in some cases we have to start treatment earlier while the patient still has baby teeth (age 8-10 years). We call this "Two-Phase Treatment". When we have patients that exhibit problems with jaw growth at an early age, it is best to start treatment when they are young, before the problems get bigger and more difficult to treat. Examples include jaws that are narrow, overbites, underbites, and permanent teeth that are crowded or can't fit into your child's mouth.

In these cases, we need to start with an early phase of treatment (Phase I) while the child still has baby teeth. The main benefit of this early correction is to take advantage of the rapid growth that occurs at this age, allowing us to easily and quickly treat any problems with the teeth or jaws. Unfortunately, jaw growth slows down quite a bit in the later teen years, making correction much more difficult and complex. Early treatment usually involves jaw growing appliances and/or limited braces to correct the size and position of the jaws and allow enough space for the remaining permanent teeth to erupt into the mouth.

After all the remaining adult teeth have come in, a short second phase of treatment ( Phase II) with braces is necessary to complete final straightening of the teeth and do any necessary bite corrections. By using a two-phase approach you can often avoid longer, more difficult treatments invoving pulling of adult teeth or even jaw surgery. If you are worried about your child's teeth, contact Dr. Souris to scedule a free exam: 440-734-1146, drs@bracesbysouris.com, or visit our website at http://www.bracesbysouris.com/!

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