Orthodontic consultations can be scheduled when a child begins losing their baby teeth and their adult teeth begin growing in. Our team can assess the patient’s bite and determine what early orthodontic services, if any, will lead to better outcomes for their smile. To learn more about our services or schedule a visit with our team, please contact us!

What Are The Benefits Of Early Orthodontics?

Orthodontic services can be completed when a patient is a child, teen, or adult, but generally speaking, seeing an orthodontist earlier is better than waiting until the later teen years or adulthood when the jaw is done growing. Early orthodontic treatment provides our team with a wider range of treatment options that can lead to more comfortable and efficient treatment for the patient. Palatal expanders, for example, can widen the patient’s arch and allow all of their teeth to fit comfortably. If this doesn’t happen, a more invasive treatment, like having one or more teeth extracted, could become necessary instead.

How Will I Know If My Child Needs A Space Maintainer?

If one of your child’s teeth is loose and it falls out, or they manage to pull it out, they likely will not need a space maintainer, since the adult tooth underneath was already growing in and pushing the baby tooth out of its place. However, if your child is in an accident and one or more teeth that were not loose beforehand are knocked out, they may need to have a space maintainer placed to keep the space open until the adult tooth is ready to grow in. If you’re not sure, it’s always advisable to get in touch with our team so that a pediatric orthodontist can assess the situation and assist.

Will My Child Need Braces Again In The Future?

Sometimes addressing orthodontic issues in two different phases is among the better options for a patient and will result in less invasive orthodontic work being required down the road. Of course, we will let you know during your child’s consultation if we believe a two-phase treatment plan will work well for your child. In other cases, patients will sometimes undergo orthodontic treatment more than once because they stop wearing their retainer and their teeth begin to shift back to their original positions. Make a consultation with our experienced pediatric orthodontist today at OrthodonTEX to learn more about our services.