EARLY TREATMENT
EARLY ORTHODONTIC SCREENING AND TREATMENT
Children should get an early orthodontic screening and assessment starting at age 6 or 7 when permanent teeth, bite, crowding, spacing and skeletal effects of bad habits begin to appear. Oftentimes, an early orthodontic screening will reveal issues to a doctor that are less obvious to parents.
Early orthodontic screening tracks and in some cases, initiates treatment of orthodontic issues well in advance of turning serious. That’s because it’s often more advantageous to correct certain problems while your child’s jaw is still growing. This can make later treatments shorter and less complicated. We have experienced too many real-life cases of young patients who should have been evaluated much sooner. We could have saved them from surgery, extractions, extremely invasive procedures, and/or other costly procedures.
GETTING STARTED
Early orthodontic treatment or pediatric orthodontic treatment starts with a screening of your child’s teeth and mouth. Your child’s screening will determine if no orthodontic care is currently necessary. The screening allows us to begin tracking your child’s development, keep an expert eye on any issues that are developing, or recommend proceeding with fixed or removable appliances.
Sunshine Smiles and our team of doctors are committed to providing the best and most thorough examination to ward off potential issues before they become bigger problems. Our goal is to set your child up on the path to success!
FREE EARLY ORTHODONTIC SCREENING
Sunshine Smiles gets your child fully evaluated with a complimentary early orthodontic screening. We look at your child’s jaw growth, teeth alignment, and can predict future needs as your child develops. Our team of doctors have the experience, expertise and technology to foresee pediatric orthodontic challenges that as a parent, you want to know. This results in no surprises for mom, dad, and your child, making the journey to orthodontic health easier.
Free Sunshine Smiles Early Orthodontic Screening includes:
- First Set of Clinical Records of Your Child’s Development
- X-rays
- All of Your Questions Answered
- Complete Yearly Assessment by our team of doctors
- Consultation
WHAT EARLY TREATMENT CAN DO FOR YOUR CHILD
Most children have lost all their baby teeth by age 13 and by the end of their teen years, the jaw bones will harden and no longer continue to grow. Orthodontic procedures for adults often take more time and can involve tooth extraction and the possibility of oral surgery. As a child, receiving early orthodontic treatment can help prevent the need for orthodontics as an adult, leaving little to no chance of extraction or surgery in the future.
Other benefits of early orthodontic treatment include:
- Guides permanent teeth growth in more favorable positions
- Eliminates abnormal swallowing
- Preserves space for permanent teeth
- Simplifies treatment once all permanent teeth have grown in
- Reduces likelihood of fracturing protruded front teeth due to a fall or impact during sports
- Avoids the need for permanent tooth extractions
- Prevents potential surgery and complications in the future
- Reduces the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth
- Improves your child’s confidence
- Can regulate the width of the upper and lower jaw
- Helps with speaking and pronunciations
- Corrects thumb-sucking teeth damage
- Easier to clean their entire mouth
FAQs
Does every child need early orthodontic treatment before they're a teenager?
How old does my child have to be to start early orthodontic treatment?
Will early treatment prevent the need for more treatment later?
I didn't know about early screening. How does Sunshine Smiles handle these situations?
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