Early Orthodontic Treatment- Phase 1

The goal of phase 1 treatment is to develop the dental arch size in order to accommodate the permanent teeth and to relate the upper and lower arches to each other.

Utilizing appliances that direct growth of the arches, we establish a good foundation, providing adequate room for eruption of all permanent teeth. This phase plays a vital role in preventing the need for extractions and/or oral surgery later in life.

Kids over the age of 7, falling into this category, may highly benefit from early orthodontic treatment- Phase 1.

Some children may need to have brackets placed on just a few teeth, such as one molar on each side and the front 4 teeth. The goals of partial braces are; front tooth alignment and assisting in establishing a correct relationship between the upper and lower teeth.

Early treatment can greatly decrease the treatment time required for the second phase.  At the end of first-phase, the teeth may not be in their best or final position, this will be accomplished during the second-phase. Periodic recall appointments are set in order to check the progression of jaw growth and permanent tooth eruption.

Below Are the Potential Benefits of Phase I Treatment:

• influence jaw growth in a positive manner
• improve the width of the dental arches
• reduce the need to extract permanent teeth
• reduce or eliminate the need for jaw surgery
• lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
• correct harmful oral habits
• improve esthetics and self-esteem
• simplify and shorten treatment time for definitive orthodontic treatment (phase II)
• increase stability of final treatment results
• reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth
• improve speech development
• improve position of first molars
• guide permanent teeth into more favorable positions
• improve lip competence
• preserve or gain space for erupting teeth
• improve compliance before the busy teenage years

What's Next?

See Phase 2 or "comprehensive treatment" to find out what happens after phase 1!