Two-phase treatment is an orthodontic method developed for young patients who show early signs of orthodontic issues such as crossbites, crowding, and crooked teeth. Conditions such as these can pose challenges to children later in life and will sometimes require costly and lengthy surgeries if not taken care of early on with two-phase treatment. Here at Niagara Orthodontics, your local St. Catharines orthodontics providers, we believe that no child should have to suffer through painful and unsightly orthodontic conditions, which is why we recommend two-phase treatment in cases where it is appropriate. Check out these six facts that everyone should know about two-phase treatment and how it can help your child avoid orthodontic problems later in life!
Two-Phase Treatment Isn’t For Everyone
For many young patients, traditional single-phase orthodontic treatment is more than enough to give them a smile that they can be proud of. Two-phase treatment is only necessary for patients who show early signs of more severe misalignments in their teeth.
Two-Phase Treatment Can Treat A Variety Of Conditions
Two-phase treatment has a broad range of uses and can help treat any of the following orthodontic conditions:
- Underbites, Overbites, and Crossbites
- Protruding Teeth
- Crowding
- Makes spaces for unerupted teeth
- Gaps and spaces between teeth
Two-Phase Treatment Begins With Baby Teeth
While it may seem early, two-phase treatment starts while the baby teeth are still in. The baby teeth function as placeholders for our adult teeth, and important adjustments can be made to baby teeth to pave the way for healthy adult teeth.
Why So Early?
Children’s teeth and jaws are most malleable when they are young two-stage treatment takes advantage of this malleability, gently adjusting teeth with minimally invasive procedures. Similarly, the upper jaw does not fuse until adolescence, meaning that jaw issues can be addressed at a young age without surgery.
Two-Phase Treatment Isn’t Continuous
You might imagine your child having braces for their entire youth or having to endure lengthy treatments for their whole childhood, but this is not the reality of two-phase treatment. There is always a break between the first stage and the second stage, allowing the teeth to react and evaluating the severity of the patients’ orthodontic condition.
Not Simply Cosmetic
Two-phase orthodontic treatment isn’t just about making your child’s smile look better for the rest of their life it is meant to address more severe jaw and teeth conditions that can lead to painful jaw conditions, difficulty chewing, and long-lasting speech impediments.
Visit Your Local Orthodontist
The easiest way to find out if your child can benefit from two-phase treatment is to bring them in for a checkup at your local orthodontist in St Catherines, Niagara Orthodontics. Our orthodontics experts can often tell by the age of 7 whether a child is a good candidate for two-phase treatment, so don’t delay contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of our convenient locations!