PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERCEPTIVE TREATMENT
Orthodontic screening for children beginning at age seven is one of the most effective ways to prevent complex issues with the alignment or spacing of teeth and jaws. Treatment may not be needed immediately, but preventive screening visits allow Dr. Markey and our team to monitor your child’s teeth as they develop, ensuring early detection if issues do arise.
Similar to other fields in health care, early detection of orthodontic issues allows treatment, if needed, to begin at an early stage, often before any complications occur. This means shorter, more comfortable, and more cost-effective treatment options are available.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends children have their first orthodontic evaluation by age seven, around the time that the first molars have emerged into the mouth. Though treatment can correct orthodontic issues at any age, early interceptive treatment can prevent the need for more complex treatment later in life.
Common orthodontic concerns that can be addressed by early interceptive treatment include:
- Crowding: teeth are crooked and overlap due to lack of space to develop
- Underbite: bottom teeth rest in front of top teeth
- Overbite: top teeth rest too far in front of bottom teeth, and cover the bottom teeth more than they should
- Cross bite: top and bottom teeth do not align
- Open bite: front teeth do not touch when teeth are closed
- Gapped teeth: large, uneven spaces occur between teeth
- Protruding teeth: one or more teeth are angled outward
Click here for problems to watch for in growing children.
Early interceptive treatment can help correct these issues and lay the foundation for a healthier, more beautiful smile. Contact Dr. Markey at Three Leaf Orthodontics to schedule your child’s orthodontic evaluation.