TREATMENT OF TWO PHASES

About the two-phase treatment

Two-phase orthodontic treatment, also called “early phase treatment”, is a specialized procedure that takes advantage of a critical period of jaw development to maximize the growth potential for successful tooth alignment in the future.
In some cases, correcting the position of the teeth and jaws early on is conducive to more satisfactory dental and facial development during the adolescent years.

Who needs two-phase treatment?

Not everyone needs two phases of orthodontic treatment.
At age six, we may begin to identify serious misalignment problems, for example, an excessively or incompletely growing upper or lower jaw.
Children with severe alignment problems can benefit greatly from an early phase of orthodontic treatment.
If left untreated, jaw asymmetries and crowding of the teeth may worsen over time and become too severe for braces alone to be effective.
Early orthodontic intervention reduces the need for tooth extractions and other complicated and costly procedures later.

Overall, the benefits of two-phase treatment are:

• Improved health, function and aesthetics
• Reduced need for tooth extractions
• Reduced need for jaw surgery
• Improved air ducts
• A better smile
• Correct dynamics of facial development

First Phase (Early Phase)

The first, or early phase of treatment, takes place during the mixed dentition phase.
This simply means that the child still has permanent and deciduous (baby) teeth.
During this phase of treatment, which usually lasts 12-18 months, we correct problems such as crowding of the teeth and functional and skeletal problems of the jaws to achieve a more balanced occlusion (bite).
Treatment may involve a combination of appliances, for example, a mobile orthodontic appliance (chewing apparatus) along with braces on existing permanent teeth.

Rest period

Between the first and second phase there is a rest period during which we wait for the remaining permanent teeth to emerge.
We will see you during the rest period, usually once every 3-6 months, to monitor your progress.

Second Phase

The second phase of treatment begins as soon as all permanent teeth appear in the mouth.
It usually involves upper and lower fixed orthodontic appliances (braces).
Because the jaws are in a better position and each permanent tooth has found its proper place, often at this stage we can focus only on aesthetics, building a beautiful smile to last a lifetime. Call our office to find out if your child can benefit from two-stage orthodontics!