Early 
Treatment 

We purposely tailor your treatment to your specific needs and aspirations.

Early Treatment 

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that your child’s first visit to the orthodontist be by the age of seven. By this age, a child’s first permanent molars will probably be erupted. This timing is an appropriate opportunity to identify any potential bite or growth problems that could negatively impact your child’s dental and skeletal development.

By conducting an early assessment, it is possible to evaluate the alignment and eruption situation of the teeth within the available space of the jaw, as well as to assess growth patterns. Beginning treatment at an earlier period supports easier skeletal and dental adjustments, often will avert the future need for surgery, possibly lower overall expenses, and can allow for orthodontic treatments to be successfully accomplished by earlier ages.

 

Early Treatment Benefits

We see that challenges are opportunities for helping young kids to gain the confidence that they can accomplish treatment and be successful! We love to focus on the abilities of all our patients, assuring them that what some see as disabilities, we see as opportunities to make a huge impact on the world through them and their accomplishments. Many kids wake up each day challenged with disabilities, and we want to celebrate them and all they dream about, do, and accomplish, starting with an inspirational smile!

Benefits of Early Treatment

 

  • Creating room for crowded, erupting teeth
  • Preserving space for teeth that have not yet erupted
  • Reducing the need for possible tooth extraction
  • Lowering the chance of trauma to the front teeth
  • Alleviating the need for future surgery
  • Improvement in breathing
  • Stopping thumb/finger sucking habits before malocclusions can develop
  • Tongue thrust therapy
  • Reinforcing good oral hygiene habits from an early age
  • Providing improved self-esteem through an awesome smile!

Early treatment can be used to address many different oral problems in a child, including the following:

  • Tooth crowding or spacing issues
  • Crossbites
  • Underbites
  • Protrusive bites
  • Facial asymmetry problems
  • Tooth eruption challenges or abnormalities
  • Jaw growth abnormalities
  • Detrimental habits such as thumb or finger sucking, tongue thrust, and mouth breathing

What’s the difference between early and adult treatment?

While orthodontics will always be similar no matter who the patient is, there are still a few differences between orthodontic treatment that’s performed on an adult as compared to a teenager or child. These include:

Adults and Younger Patients

The main difference between adults and younger patients is that the jawbones of children and teenagers are still growing. Orthodontic appliances can’t change the jaw structure of an adult, however, since the jawbones have stopped growing, orthognathic surgery can be used to align the jawbones.

Periodontal Disease

Adults are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease. If gum tissues aren’t healthy, bone loss can occur during orthodontic treatment. It’s important to get gum disease under control before treatment has started.

Worn Down Teeth

Adults are also more likely to have teeth that are worn down, missing, or drifting into unfavorable positions. If this is the case for you, Dr. Barron will develop a treatment option that takes this into account.

Are you interested in learning more about early treatment options for your child? Call (817) 926-9777 today for your appointment. We look forward to creating your perfect, beautiful smile!

Early Treatment FAQ

Are Phase 1 Treatment and Early Treatment the same thing?

Phase 1 Treatment is done during the stages of early treatment. Dr. Barnes will assess your child’s baby teeth during the early treatment consultations and decide what the best treatment plan is moving forward. Early assessment decreases likelihood of in depth procedures, as well as decreases the time and cost of later orthodontic treatments.

How can I recognize potential bite problems?

Watching out for teeth protruding, gapping, crowding, and growing in where they shouldn’t are all indicative of a misaligned bite or jaw. You can also look to see if the teeth do not meet properly when the mouth is closed or if you child is having jaw aches/the jaw is making sounds when it’s moved. Less obvious signs to look for are mouth breathing, speech difficulty, biting on the inside of the cheek, or extended thumbsucking or pacifier use.

Will my child need to get teeth pulled?

 Part of early treatment is preventing having to get teeth pulled. However, if teeth are severely crowded or coming in crooked or impacted it is not uncommon for one or more teeth to be pulled.

Contact your Fort Worth, Texas Orthodontist Today!

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4375 South Hulen Street, Fort Worth, TX 76109