We don’t limit treatment to just teens and adults alone. We can actually start guiding smile growth and addressing misalignment with interceptive orthodontics in a phased approach. In today’s blog, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist talks about how we treat poor alignment in little smiles, often as young as age seven!
The Initial Exam and Consultation
The process starts with an initial exam. Our team will use advanced digital imaging to carefully examine the teeth and assess the cause and extent of developing misalignment. This allows us to assess the need for treatment and to choose the right plan, one tailored for your child’s smile specifically. We use interpretive orthodontics in a phased approach to gently and carefully guide the growth of the smile, limiting the severity of misalignment until the smile is ready for braces or aligners to complete the job.
Our Phased Approach
For young children, we could use a retainer, one custom-made and fitted for the smile. Worn daily, this can be fixed in place or removable. The retainer helps guide the smile’s growth and development to reduce how severe misalignment becomes. Often, poor alignment occurs when a tooth is lost prematurely, which then alters how the permanent teeth arrive and leads to uneven smiles. However, if a baby tooth is lost too soon, we can use teeth spacers to keep the space open and clear, and to help guide the permanent teeth into proper position. Again, this option can be fixed in place or removable, and is custom-made for the smile.
Contouring Care in the Teenage Years
The first phase can start for kids as young as age seven. But what about the second phase, the part that completes the procedure? In this stage, once the permanent teeth have all erupted and properly calcified, we will use either braces (with tooth-colored brackets to make them less visible) or clear Invisalign® aligners to finish the process and bring the teeth to their proper and final positions. Remember, an even smile not only looks good, but is less likely to develop cavities, gum disease, or complications like TMD or bruxism (teeth grinding).
If you have any questions about how we treat little smiles, then contact our team today to learn more and to enjoy better oral health. We want to help people of all ages!
Do You Have Questions About Children’s Orthodontics?
We would like to help kids of all ages avoid the complications of malocclusion. If you have any questions about treating poor alignment in early childhood, or if you would like to schedule an appointment soon, please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Haslet, Azle, and all surrounding communities.
