At what age should my children start orthodontic treatment?
There are two parts to orthodontic treatment, interceptive orthodontic treatment and Class I (i.e regular) orthodontic treatment. Interceptive orthodontic treatment should be done at around age 8. Class I orthodontic treatment should start at age 12. • What is interceptive orthodontic treatment and is it necessary? The objective of interceptive orthodontic treatment is to make room in your child’s mouth for your child’s permanent teeth. Your orthodontist may expand your child’s palate, and try to start to correct overbites and underbites. As noted above orthodontic problems arise because human teeth do not grow at the same rate as human mouths. Your children’s mouth will be growing a lot between ages 8 and 12. It is important to make sure that there is room for your children’s permanent teeth. • How long does interceptive orthodontic treatment take. It varies a lot according to the complexity of the case. Interceptive orthodontic treatment can take anywhere from 3 to 14 months.
