St. Petersburg dentist, Dentist in St. Petersburg, FL

Braces

Developing malocclusions, or bad bites, can be recognized as early as 2-3 years of age. Often, early steps can be taken to reduce the need for major orthodontic treatment at a later age.

Stage I - Early treatment. This period of treatment encompasses ages 2-6 years. At this young age, we are concerned with underdeveloped dental arches, the premature loss of primary teeth, and harmful habits such as finger or thumb sucking. Treatment initiated in this stage of development is often very successful and many times, though not always, can eliminate the need for future orthodontic/orthopedic treatment.

Stage II - Mixed Dentition

This period covers the ages of 6-12 years, with the eruption of the permanent incisors (front) teeth and 6 year molars. Treatment concerns deal with jaw malrelationships and dental realignment problems. This is an excellent stage to start treatment, when indicated, as your child's hard and soft tissues are usually very responsive to orthodontic or orthopedic forces. In many cases at this age the use of removable orthopedic appliances are indicated as they force the jaw to bite into the proper position and over a period of time the jaws grow into the proper relationship.

Stage III - Adolescent Dentition

This stage deals with the permanent teeth and usually is treated with braces as you know them.