FIRST PHASE TREATMENT
Orthodontists can treat smiles at any age, but there is usually a best age for treatment to begin. An early examination allows the determination of how and when a child's particular problems should be treated for a maximum improvement with the least amount of time and expense. Early treatment may achieve results that are unattainable once the face and jaws have finished growing. This treatment approach is considered interceptive or preventative.

Children sometimes exhibit early signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. An upper and lower jaw that is growing too much or not enough, or is too wide or too narrow can be recognized at an early age. If children over age six have these jaw discrepancies, they are candidates for the first phase orthodontic treatment.

Since children are growing rapidly, they can benefit enormously from the first phase of orthodontic treatment because specific appliances can be prescribed that direct the growth of their upper and lower jaws toward an ideal relationship.
Thus, a good foundation can be established providing adequate room for eruption of all permanent teeth.

The goals of the first phase of orthodontic treatment are:

• Influence jaw growth in a positive matter
• Harmonize the width of the dental arches
• Improve eruption patterns
• Decrease the risk of trauma to protruding upper front teeth
• Correct/eliminate harmful oral habits
• Improve esthetics and self-esteem
• Simplify and/or shorten treatment time for later corrective orthodontics
• Reduce the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth
• Improve some speech problems
• Preserve or gain space for erupting permanent teeth

The first phase of treatment last approximately one year.


Resting/Observation period
After Phase I is completed, all appliances are removed and the eruption of your child's permanent teeth will be monitored at office visits about every four to six months. Retainers may or may not be recommended during this observation period.


SECOND PHASE TREATMENT
It is important to understand that at the end of the first phase of treatment, the teeth are not in their final position. This will be accomplished in the corrective, second phase of treatment.

Each tooth has an exact location in the mouth where it is in harmony with the lips, cheeks, jaw joints and other teeth. When this equilibrium is established, the teeth will function together properly. Here, they will remain healthy and look the most attractive. This is the goal of the second phase of treatment.

The second phase of treatment is initiated when most of the permanent teeth have erupted and usually requires braces on all teeth for approximately eighteen months. In many cases, this is significantly less time that phase one treatment would have taken.


LIMITED ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT
Short-term, limited orthodontic treatment is available in situations when a patient is unwilling to undergo comprehensive orthodontic treatment but wishes to have minor tooth movement to either enhance their smile or to position a certain tooth prior to the placement of an implant or bridge. Treatment of this nature may be performed with braces or removable appliances.