What are Phase I and Phase II treatments?
Phase I is a less invasive treatment, which occurs before a patient has gained all of their permanent teeth. It is limited to partial braces or the use of an expander, and usually is undergone by patients ages 6 to 10. Phase I can be used to create space for permanent teeth that will emerge soon, or to correct underbites, crossbites, overbites, or detrimental habits such as incorrect chewing or thumb sucking. Phase II is a more extensive treatment, dealing with full braces and occurring during the prepubescent years (11-13), after all of the patient’s permanent teeth have developed.
