Dr. Albright - Orthodontist

EARLY TREATMENT

There is no specific guideline as to when one should see an orthodontist for the first time. The recommendation of the American Association of Orthodontics is that every child should see an orthodontist by age seven or earlier if a problem is detected. However, orthodontic treatment is effective at any age. We have successfully treated many children as young as 2 years of age.

Too Young For Braces?

When I was a child, I was told that I had to wait until all of my baby teeth fell out before I could get braces to straighten my teeth. Sometimes I still hear people say that today, but things have changed a lot in orthodontics since that time. Research has shown that in many cases the best results can be obtained with a combination of orthopedics and orthodontics. Orthopedics is the use of removable appliances and growth to correct jaws that are out of line. This is only possible while growth is still occurring and has been used quite extensively in Europe for many years. Orthodontics is the use of braces or removable appliances to move the teeth into their proper position.

Early treatment often gives a patient the best result because growth can be used to line up the jaws and make space for teeth coming in that would otherwise be crowded. One advantage of making space for teeth before they come in, or while they are coming in, is that they are not crowded for a long time and tend to remain more stable and require less time with retainers.

After growth is complete the removal of some permanent teeth is often required to make room for teeth that are crowded. Jaws that are out of line often require surgery to correct if there is no growth remaining. Unless the problem is severe, a compromise is often made to compensate for a jaw that is out of line. Teeth are moved instead of jaws to correct the bite in order to avoid surgery. The results can be less ideal and less stable than can be obtained with growth still present.

The last baby tooth is often not lost until after growth of the jaws is complete, especially in girls, who often stop growing by the age of eleven or twelve. Waiting for the last baby tooth to fall out to see an orthodontist about braces can often compromise the quality of the result that can be obtained. If an ideal result can be obtained at this age, it often requires more treatment, takes more time and costs more money.

If treated at an early age, some problems can be corrected with removable appliances alone, avoiding the need for braces altogether. If braces are needed to correct the final position of the permanent teeth after they come in, the time required for this phase of treatment is often reduced to one year or less.

Two or three years of age is not too early to treat some orthodontic problems. The best time to see an orthodontist about the need for treatment is as soon as you suspect a problem. Often a problem can be corrected in the early stages before it becomes more severe.

Not all orthodontists are familiar with treating problems at a young age and not all dentists are aware that early treatment is possible. It depends on who taught them and when and where they went to school. You may need to look around to find someone who is familiar with early treatment but I think it is worth the effort.

-Dr. Marsha K. Albright

	EARLY TREATMENT There is no specific guideline as to when one should see an orthodontist for the first time. The recommendation of the American Association of Orthodontics is that every child should see an orthodontist by age seven or earlier if a problem is detected. However, orthodontic treatment is effective at any age. We have successfully treated many children as young as 2 years of age. Too Young For Braces? When I was a child, I was told that I had to wait until all of my baby teeth fell out before I could get braces to straighten my teeth. Sometimes I still hear people say that today, but things have changed a lot in orthodontics since that time. Research has shown that in many cases the best results can be obtained with a combination of orthopedics and orthodontics. Orthopedics is the use of removable appliances and growth to correct jaws that are out of line. This is only possible while growth is still occurring and has been used quite extensively in Europe for many years. Orthodontics is the use of braces or removable appliances to move the teeth into their proper position. Early treatment often gives a patient the best result because growth can be used to line up the jaws and make space for teeth coming in that would otherwise be crowded. One advantage of making space for teeth before they come in, or while they are coming in, is that they are not crowded for a long time and tend to remain more stable and require less time with retainers. After growth is complete the removal of some permanent teeth is often required to make room for teeth that are crowded. Jaws that are out of line often require surgery to correct if there is no growth remaining. Unless the problem is severe, a compromise is often made to compensate for a jaw that is out of line. Teeth are moved instead of jaws to correct the bite in order to avoid surgery. The results can be less ideal and less stable than can be obtained with growth still present. The last baby tooth is often not lost until after growth of the jaws is complete, especially in girls, who often stop growing by the age of eleven or twelve. Waiting for the last baby tooth to fall out to see an orthodontist about braces can often compromise the quality of the result that can be obtained. If an ideal result can be obtained at this age, it often requires more treatment, takes more time and costs more money. If treated at an early age, some problems can be corrected with removable appliances alone, avoiding the need for braces altogether. If braces are needed to correct the final position of the permanent teeth after they come in, the time required for this phase of treatment is often reduced to one year or less. Two or three years of age is not too early to treat some orthodontic problems. The best time to see an orthodontist about the need for treatment is as soon as you suspect a problem. Often a problem can be corrected in the early stages before it becomes more severe. Not all orthodontists are familiar with treating problems at a young age and not all dentists are aware that early treatment is possible. It depends on who taught them and when and where they went to school. You may need to look around to find someone who is familiar with early treatment but I think it is worth the effort. -Dr. Marsha K. Albright