Early Treatment

While Dr. Cai can improve a smile at any age, there is an optimal time period to start orthodontic treatment. Beginning treatment at this time helps ensure the patient gets the great results they need and deserve in the least amount of time and often at a lower cost. Our practice agrees with the recommendation made by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) which states that every child should see an orthodontist for the first time by their 7th birthday or at the first sign of orthodontic problems. Even though treatment may not be necessary at this age, this early evaluation allows Dr. Cai to determine when the best time is to begin treatment if it is deemed necessary.

When your child sees an orthodontist at an early age, any problems present can be detected early on. This gives your child the best possible opportunity to have a straight smile that's both healthy and attractive. When a child receives early treatment, we can guide the child's growth and development to prevent more serious problems from occurring later on. Even if your child does not need early interceptive treatment, Dr. Cai can keep a close eye on your child's growth and development so that treatment can be done at the most optimal time.

By the time a child is 7, the first permanent molars have typically erupted to establish the back bite. This is when Dr. Cai can evaluate the tooth relationships to detect orthodontic problems like an overbite, open bite, crowded teeth or a 'gummy' smile.

There are many advantages associated with early interceptive treatment, including:

• Can create the necessary room for unerupted teeth or teeth which are crowded
• Can create balanced facial symmetry by influencing how the jaw grows
• Can reduce the risk of trauma to front teeth which protrude
• Can reduce or eliminate the need for extracting healthy teeth
• Can reduce the time spent wearing braces

In addition to improving the appearance of the smile, orthodontic treatment can also improve malocclusions or 'bad bites'. Malocclusions occur due to tooth or jaw misalignment. If a child has a malocclusion, it can affect how he or she smiles, chews and cleans the teeth. It can also make the child feel bad about how their smile looks.

There are many very good reasons why malocclusions should be treated, including:

• It is more difficult to clean teeth which are crowded. This puts the child at higher risk for developing common problems like tooth decay and gum disease.
• Protruding teeth can easily become chipped
• Crossbites can lead to unfavorable growth and uneven wear of tooth enamel
• Open bites can lead to speech problems and tongue-thrusting habits