Early Treatment
Whether or not it is readily apparent that your child needs orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic evaluation no later than age 7. Although treatment may not start at this early age, a check-up ensures maximum dental health for your child.
Early intervention can take advantage of ongoing jaw growth and tooth eruptions to decrease the severity of a problem and make the completion of treatment at a later age less time consuming and less expensive. In some cases, early treatment can produce results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
Early treatment may give Dr. Damon a chance to:
- Guide jaw growth to ensure that the teeth meet properly.
- Lower the risk of fracture to protruded front teeth.
- Correct harmful oral habits such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, grinding, and lip habits.
- Improve appearance and, thereby, self-confidence at an early age.
- Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position.
- Improve the way the lips meet.
- Enhance proper speech development.
- Correct crossbites and tooth interferences.
- Coordinate the extraction(s) of baby teeth with the general dentist to allow for eruptions of permanent teeth in the proper sequence.
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Through an early orthodontic evaluation, you’ll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile.