Orthodontics for Young Children

While there is not an exact age for kids to start orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists and Drs. Passamano recommend children have a routine orthodontic consultation at 7-8 years of age or when their permanent incisors begin erupting.  Here are some benefits to orthodontics as a child.

• Correct and modify your child’s growth to achieve facial harmony
• Facilitate upper and lower jaw arch development
• Guide teeth and your child’s jaw so permanent teeth can come in straight without problems
• Create space to allow permanent teeth to come in normally without extraction of permanent teeth
• Correct thumb sucking problems
• Here are some signs that your child may need to see an orthodontist: difficulty chewing, thumb-sucking, mouth breathing, difficulty chewing/biting, early or late loss of baby teeth, crowded front teeth, jaws and teeth not proportional to face, etc.

Below are some photos of patients who benefited from Phase I Treatment   Not all children will benefit from Phase I; many children will not require Two-Phases of orthodontics, and instead only One-Phase when most of their permanent teeth are erupted.

Most Phase I children will receive some orthodontic appliances for 1-1.5 years, then appliances are removed for 1-3 years while permanent teeth erupt.  At that time, further orthodontic treatment can be evaluated.  Below is a slideshow of successful Phase I to Completed Treatment patients from our Passamano Orthodontics office in Irvine, CA.