What Happens In Phase One Orthodontic Treatment?
Phase one orthodontic treatment, or an interceptive orthodontic treatment, helps prevent various orthodontic problems. First phase orthodontic treatments are milder and prevent the need for a phase-two of treatment. These treatments are mostly done in babies and children who have just developed an orthodontic issue. Phase one is a very important step in obtaining the best oral health possible for your child. Depending on the case, phase one could extend to phase two. However, if applied in time, an interceptive orthodontic treatment will show great results on its own, too.
Most patients complete their phase one orthodontic treatment by the age of seven. This is when the bite and teeth are corrected accordingly by wearing a less severe device.
What does the first stage of treatment include?
The orthodontic tools used on a phase one orthodontic treatment include jaw expanders, retainers or partial braces. This early intervention is usually done before the first teeth arise, which is somewhere between the age of six and ten.
In case you need to undergo a phase one orthodontic treatment, it is best you know the expected outcome from it. Your orthodontist will, therefore, need to do an orthodontic evaluation and set up diagnosis for further treatment. If early orthodontic treatment is not suitable for your case, you will have to consider other solutions.
How does phase 1 orthodontic treatment affect the oral health?
There are many health-boosting goals of a phase one orthodontic treatment. One of its main objectives is to make sure the jaw in children is aligned. With that, the treatment helps improve the bite and prevents further complications. This treatment also enables a greater space for the teeth to move around and settle ideally. If needed, the treatment can diminish the space in the mouth, making the teeth still and unmoving.
In most cases, the phase 1 orthodontic treatment time period is from 9-18 months. As soon as the treatment is complete, the patient will begin to wear a retainer. Along with actively wearing a retainer, the patient will also have to make regular dentist appointments. Since completing treatment you should make an appointment with your orthodontist every 4-6 months. At the same time, you will want to keep an eye on permanent teeth development. As soon as the first permanent teeth appear, it is best to visit your doctor for further recommendations.
If necessary, your orthodontist near me can recommend continuing to a phase two treatment. This is a practice in cases when phase one orthodontic treatment doesn’t get the job done all the way.
What does phase one orthodontic treatment help with?
As stated, phase one orthodontic treatment treats a series of Class II malocclusions. The treatment is commonly done in children, and the sooner you seek help, the better. Some of phase 1 treatment target areas include:
- Overbite.
- Underbite.
- Crossbite.
- Overjets.
- Teeth crowding.
- Teeth spacing.
- Late-blooming teeth.
- Missing teeth and open spaces in the mouth
- Ankylosed teeth, where the baby teeth do not fall out, forcing the permanent teeth to pop up elsewhere.
What are the benefits of phase one orthodontic treatment?
Phase one orthodontic treatment is highly successful in children and offers quick and effective results. Its benefits have been largely acknowledged by studies and research in the field. Some of the benefits of undergoing a phase one orthodontic treatment include:
- Preventing certain oral practices that can cause front teeth malformation. These include bottle feeding, thumb sucking, and thumb thrusting.
- Introducing greater self-esteem and adding on facial appeal in patients.
- Improving physical flaws and correcting the smile.
- Offering a shorter and equally effective treatment for the aforementioned conditions.
- Preventing the risk of impacted fixed teeth.
- Eliminating any potential speech problems as a result of malocclusion.
- Opening up or narrowing down space in permanent teeth, making sure they are ideally aligned.
- Encouraging jaw growth and expansion, thus making enough space for the misplaced teeth.
- Widening the dental arches as much as needed. This serves so the teeth can fall into their righteous place.
- Avoiding permanent teeth extraction, especially if the problem is in regards to space in the jaws.
- Reducing the risk of needing a jaw surgery.
- Increasing steadiness and balance in the oral cavity. This includes alignment of the bottom and top jaw, the teeth and resuming proper bite in children.
- Improving the placement of the first molars.
- Move the teeth around in a harmless, yet more fitting manner. While moving the teeth, the treatment also makes sure not to cause teeth cracking or severe enamel loss.
- Ameliorating lip competence.
- Correcting the bite and stabilizing chewing.
- Preventing the need for a phase II orthodontic treatment. However, the majority of cases in question had continued to phase two orthodontic treatment.
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What does phase two orthodontic treatment include?
If phase one orthodontic treatment does not succeed entirely, you will likely have to undergo phase two as well. Phase two of the treatment is a more in-depth treatment which stabilizes the teeth even further. It can also help maintain the balance in adult teeth, given that phase one is complete. This dental development is very successful when it comes to treating some of today’s most common orthodontic issues.
This is commonly done with tools like traditional braces or Invisalign. The length of this treatment is between 12-18 months. One of the best things about a phase two treatment is that phase one already has most of the job done. With this, the patient won’t need to wear headgear and will likely need fewer rubber bands, too. That is great to hear, as the treatment will be more comfortable, and therefore more effective.
Early Orthodontic Treatment
To decide if your child needs to undergo a phase one orthodontic treatment, visit your doctor today. Both permanent and primary teeth play a huge role in your child’s oral health, so it is wise you prevent any complications in time. Also, talk to your child about the importance of wearing a tool that makes the teeth happy again!
The sooner you ease them into the upcoming treatment, the greater success the treatment itself can guarantee.
Contact Us
IVANOV Orthodontic Experts
12866 Biscayne Blvd, North Miami, FL 33181
https://www.google.com/maps?cid=154326063970645489
Call us at (786) 540-1919 to schedule a free orthodontic exam.
