Whats “two-phase” orthodontic treatment?
Two phase orthodontic treatment includes having a short period of care early when there are many primary teeth present followed by a second period of treatment in the permanent dentition. The early phase is usually limited to fixing specific problems related to the childs stage of growth and development or aimed at intercepting developing problems that could get worse in the future. This is usually between the ages of seven and eleven years old. Most early phase treatments take about one year. Also, most patients receiving an early phase of treatment will benefit from a final phase when the adult teeth erupt. The second phase of treatment usually starts when the adult teeth are in or are coming into the mouth. This is normally at about twelve years old. Even though there has already been some treatment, the second phase may still take two years depending on the specific problems being addressed.
