Early Orthodontic Treatment
Some orthodontic problems may be easier to correct if they are found and treated early, these might include:
Underbites – when the lower front teeth are ahead of the upper front teeth
Crossbites – when the jaw shifts to one side
Very crowded teeth
Excessively spaced teeth
Extra or missing teeth
Teeth meet abnormally or do not meet at all
Thumb-, finger-, or pacifier- sucking that is affecting the teeth or jaw growth
The goal of early treatment is to intercept the developing problem, eliminate the cause, guide the growth of facial and jaw bones, and provide adequate space for incoming permanent teeth.
Waiting until all the permanent teeth have come in, or until facial growth is nearly complete, may make correction of some problems more difficult.