The American Association of Orthodontists recommends an orthodontic consultation for all children by age 7. Not every child needs treatment at that age. Dr. MacKenzie will monitor the tooth eruption and the growth of the face in order to advise you on the best time for orthodontic treatment. However, sometimes early treatment is needed, before all the permanent teeth erupt. This is usually because there is uneven growth of the upper and lower jaws causing a crossbite, an underbite or a large overbite. Also, there may be problems with the eruption of the adult teeth. If your child requires early treatment (also known as Phase I treatment), Dr. MacKenzie will advise you of the timing and type of treatment.
The traditional treatment usually involves a palatal expander and sometimes limited braces on the adult teeth. Nowadays, a lot of this treatment can be done with Invisalign first, which is designed specifically for children with primary teeth still present. The timing of treatment is similar to a traditional expander, but Invisalign first is more comfortable and easier to use. It looks just like regular Invisalign.