WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF 2 STEP TREATMENT?
Our office, as do orthodontic specialists throughout the community, recommends an initial orthodontic well child visit by the age of seven. Naturally, if there are issues that your dentist note before that age, you are encouraged to be seen sooner.
Orthodontic treatment can be started on certain types of tooth problems before all teeth have erupted. Early treatment, is usually begun after the four permanent upper and lower front teeth have erupted. (approximately age seven) . It is recommended that if any of the following problems are apparent they should call to be evaluated.
The Top 6 Advantages of 2-Step Orthodontic Treatment:
Advantages of early treatment include:
#1 Moving the front teeth back so they will be less susceptible to injury.
#2 Improving the relationship of upper and lower jaws allowing more normal future growth to develop.
#3 Using maximum advantage of growth for successful treatment
#4 To improve facial appearance and self esteem.
#5 Take advantage of the good cooperation of the patients at early age.
#6 Possible avoiding or reducing the need for further treatment when patients are older.
Pre-Eruption Guidance - The advantage of letting Mother Nature do the work:
There are some significant advantages to early treatment that go beyond the above. In our office, most early treatment allows for expansion of the existing erupting teeth long before they appear in the mouth. This prevents impaction of teeth and front teeth erupting in the wrong position. The goal is to normalize and naturalize the dentition for a child of that age and then to get out of the way of Mother Nature’s future erupting plans.
Virtually in all cases, we can eliminate the need for removal of permanent teeth and thereby considerable shortening or eliminating the need for orthodontic treatment. Please be sure you understand that while that is always the hope, it can not be guaranteed or assured that future treatment will not be indicated. Much of the decision for future treatment and the decision for early treatment, is based on a mutual understanding and agreement between the patient, family and this office.
The 1st Step Makes the 2nd Step Shorter, More Stable, and More Successful....SOONER:
Most often overlooked or misunderstood by other orthodontists, is that by early interceptive and preventive treatment, the teeth will erupt almost in correct position where we want them to be for the rest of the patients life. One of the reasons our treatment is so successful and so stable and so much more long lasting than other offices is that we do pre-eruption guidance of these teeth while a successful, interceptive and preventive mode of treatment has been preformed.
This is enormously beneficial to the patients future stability and it is one of the reasons why our office NEVER has to use fixed bonded or banded retainers that the patient has to wear for the rest of the lives to keep their teeth straight.
A better long term solution than bonded or banded retainers:
These bonded or banded retainers, often seen between the upper two front teeth and six lower front teeth ,can cause decay around the appliance as well as emergency appointments when the appliance breaks, usually why you are on vacation. We have removed countless numbers of these from patients who have been discouraged and disappointed by the choices their orthodontist made for them. Durable orthodontic retainers are all that this office ever uses, but , like any treatment, it is heavily dependant on the patients cooperation and support.
Patient cooperation is the key to a successful 2-step treatment process:
No matter how correct our treatment is and our diagnosis is, it can all be undone and failed to be reached by a non compliant patient and non supportive family.
What do to next?
