As a parent, you love to see your kids smile! At Hibberd Orthodontics, we know how important it is to take care of your favorite smiles. That is why we recommend bringing your child to see us sooner rather than later.
So when is the best time to schedule an orthodontic appointment for your child? The Canadian Association of Orthodontics recommends that your child sees an orthodontic specialist at age 7. At that age your child’s jaw is developed enough and they have enough permanent teeth for a trained orthodontist to spot potential issues with your child’s teeth, mouth and jaw. Growth monitoring can help identify orthodontic issues and correct them with Phase I treatment before they turn into larger, more complicated issues. While the majority of patients do not begin orthodontics at the age of 7, it is an important time to have a clinical assessment and ensure that there are no issues and growth patterns that are concerning. If your child is not ready for treatment, we will continue to monitor their growth and see them again in 6 months to 1 year to check on the growth and development of their teeth, jaw, and mouth. There is no cost associated with having our doctors monitor your child for the period of time before they are ready to start treatment. The goal is to ensure if treatment is needed, that it begins when it would be the most beneficial to do so.
What is Phase 1 treatment?
Phase 1 orthodontic treatment, also called early interceptive orthodontics, is a problem-focused treatment plan, aiming to mitigate and correct future orthodontic problems such as jaw discrepancies, asymmetric growth patterns, and extreme crowding to name just a few. When you bring your child into Hibberd Orthodontics, Dr. Christine Hibberd and/or Dr. Graeme Hibberd can assess your child’s needs during the first consultation. Concerns such as crowding, large spacing, problematic facial growth, and habits, such as thumb-sucking, cheek- biting, or tongue-thrusting are also taken into consideration. At this assessment, our doctors will develop your child’s individualized treatment plan and determine if phase 1 treatment is right for Them.
What appliances are used in Phase 1 treatment?
During phase 1 treatment, a variety of appliances may be recommended by our doctors. Some are well-known, such as, expanders, and retainers. Other appliances that could possibly be used during phase 1 treatment include space maintainers, habit correcting appliances, and functional appliances such as twin blocks or mandibular advancers. No matter what treatment plan is developed for your child, you can rest assured knowing that our doctors are well- educated and trained to take excellent care of your child’s smile. Our patients also get excited about expressing themselves and being creative by picking out their colour and design for their first customized appliance.
What are the benefits of Phase 1 treatment?
We talk a lot about early intervention in orthodontics because there are many benefits to undergoing orthodontic treatment as a child. Early treatment can begin the correction of significant problems, prevent additional problems from developing, and simplify future treatment, but oftentimes, additional treatment is still necessary. Why do it early? Because we can utilize growth to correct certain issues (such as crowding, large overbites and underbites). By guiding the growth of the jaws and helping to create space we are much more likely to avoid extractions and surgery in some cases. Without growth, options for correcting many orthodontic issues are more limited and in some cases can not be corrected as conservatively as those cases that were identified early and utilized growth in their orthodontic care.
Want to learn more about your treatment options?
Perfecting your smile is a very individual process, let the professionals at Hibberd Orthodontics help you find the best fit for your child. Click below to schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Graeme Hibberd and Dr. Christine Hibberd.
