You may need to check out your orthodontic needs early!
Your dentist may suggest an early orthodontic appointment to determine if early treatment is necessary or appropriate for your child. Sometimes early treatment will result in shorter and less complicated treatment at a later age or it may achieve results that would not be possible once the jaws and face had stopped growing. Occasionally early treatment is undertaken to protect teeth from damage.
Often in earlier generations, orthodontic treatment involved continual extraction of "baby" teeth to make way for adult teeth. Later it was found that this sometimes caused problems that were very difficult to fix later on. Today this method is used less widely and careful monitoring occurs.

Orthodontics treatment usually occurs at 3 different stages of life:

1. Early treatment: From about 7- 9 year olds. This is often treatment that attempts to influence or affect bone growth e.g. palatal dividers or expansion
2. Teenage treatment: Most people are able to start orthodontic treatment once the last baby teeth are lost. This varies from about the ages of 11 years to 16 years. Often this treatment involves a person with teeth that are too big to fit into their mouth neatly. Usually braces are used.
3. Adult treatment: Often treatment for adults is longer and more uncomfortable than for children. Because bone growth has slowed down severe problems may involve jaw surgery and braces. Don't be "put off" seeking treatment because braces can often correct minor irregularities that annoy adults for life.
   • Adult treatment by an orthodontist can include the up righting to teeth so successful bridgework can be competed the close a gap made by extractions.
     

Orthodontic treatment is not just for "kids and teenagers". Discuss your orthodontic options with your dentist or orthodontist.

How long will orthodontic treatment take?
Orthodontic treatment can mean moving a single tooth a very short distance or it can involve jaw surgery and braces. Therefore it is impossible to generalise about how long orthodontic treatment will take but...

Typically braces or bands are on the teeth for 18 - 24 months with appointments for orthodontic adjustments and monitoring very 4 to 8 weeks. This is followed by an appliance( known as a retainer) being placed to hold the teeth in their new position for another 18 months or so.

What can go wrong?
In most cases people have orthodontic treatment without problems.
Problems can however occur:

• Decay: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!!!!! Cleaning and diet are very important especially with all the "plaque" attracting appliances in your mouth. Sometimes damage to teeth is not detectable until after braces are removed.
• Tooth root changes: Minor rounding of the tip of the tooth roots may occur. Generally this does not lead to any problems.
• It is possible on rare occasions to have a tooth nerve die during orthodontic treatment.
• In adults particularly, gum problems may be accentuated by orthodontics.