Kids

The goal of Phase 1 treatment is to help the jaw develop in a way that will accommodate all of the permanent teeth and improve the way the upper and lower jaws fit together. Children often exhibit early signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. An upper jaw that is too narrow or an underbite can be recognised at an early age. If children are found to have this jaw discrepancy, they may be candidates for early orthodontic treatment. Also, if children around the age of 8 have severely crowded front teeth, early treatment may avoid the need to extract permanent teeth later.

• Early or late loss of baby teeth
• Difficulty chewing and/or biting
• Mouth breathing
• Your child continues sucking their thumb after age five
• Speech impediments
• Protruding teeth (the top teeth and the bottom teeth extend away from each other)
• Teeth that don’t come together in a normal manner or even at all
• Shifting of the jaw when your child opens or closes their mouth (crossbites)
• Crowded front teeth around age 8

Early treatment may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated. In some cases, the orthodontist will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.