Early Orthodontics

Giving your child a healthy smile starts early. At Valley Orthodontics in Wasilla, AK, we provide early orthodontics that guides jaw growth, supports healthy tooth development, and helps prevent bigger orthodontic problems later.

If you’ve been looking for a trusted kids orthodontist in Wasilla, like Dr. Haines and Dr. Hartman, or asking when to start children’s orthodontics, our team is here to help you make confident decisions for your child’s smile.

Signs Your Child May Need Early Orthodontic Care

Recognizing potential problems early can make treatment simpler and more effective. Your child may benefit from a children orthodontics evaluation if you notice:

• Crowded or misplaced teeth

• Difficulty chewing or biting

• Mouth breathing

• Thumb sucking that continues past age 5

• Speech difficulties or lisping

• Protruding front teeth

• Early or late loss of baby teeth

If you have been wondering when to see a kids orthodontist for your child, these signs are a good reason to schedule an early orthodontic visit.

Why Are Children Evaluated at an Early Age?

Children are often evaluated for early orthodontic treatment because their jaw and bite are still developing. At this stage, we can:

• Guide erupting teeth into better positions

• Preserve or create space for incoming permanent teeth

• Help prevent fractures in protruding front teeth

• Reduce the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth

• Improve the width and shape of the dental arches

In many cases, early orthodontics allows us to correct developing issues before they turn into more serious crowding, bite problems, or long-term functional concerns.

What to Expect from Your Early Orthodontics

The treatment process for early intervention orthodontics at Valley Orthodontics involves several key steps to ensure the best outcomes for your child:

1. Initial Consultation: A thorough examination to assess your child’s dental and facial development.
2. Diagnostic Records: X-rays, photographs, and dental impressions to create a detailed treatment plan.
3. Customized Treatment Plan: This plan is tailored to your child’s specific needs and may include expanders, space maintainers, or partial braces.
4. Regular Check-ups: Monitoring the progress and making necessary adjustments to the treatment plan.
5. Phase Two Planning: If needed, plan for additional treatment once all permanent teeth have erupted.

Does Early Orthodontic Treatment Benefit Every Child?

Not every child needs early orthodontic treatment, even if they have a few crooked teeth. Some orthodontic problems are actually better treated in the teen years, once most or all permanent teeth have erupted.

At Valley Orthodontics, we:

• Evaluate each child’s growth and tooth development

• Recommend early treatment only when it is clearly beneficial

• Often suggest waiting and monitoring until the timing is ideal

If your child is not ready for treatment, we will keep an eye on their growth with periodic checkups instead of starting braces too soon.

Our Growth and Supervisory Program

For children who are not quite ready for early orthodontics, we offer a growth and supervisory program. This is a simple, low-stress way to make sure your child’s smile is developing on track.

During this program, we:

• Monitor how permanent teeth are erupting

• Watch jaw growth and bite development

• Identify problems early, before they become more complex

• Sometimes recommend early removal of baby teeth to guide eruption

Visits are typically scheduled every few months, depending on your child’s needs. This approach helps us determine the best time to begin treatment and often reduces future treatment time.

Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment

Early orthodontics offers more than a straighter smile. When started at the right time, early treatment can:

• Improve bite function and jaw alignment

• Make brushing and flossing easier by reducing crowding

• Decrease abnormal wear on teeth

• Reduce the risk of trauma to protruding front teeth

• Help correct habits like thumb sucking or tongue thrusting

• Support balanced facial growth and a more harmonious profile

By taking action early, many families find that later comprehensive treatment is shorter, simpler, and more predictable.

Will Early Orthodontics Prevent Braces Later?

Early orthodontic treatment can correct big problems and prevent more serious issues from developing. However, it does not always eliminate the need for braces in the teen years.

In many cases:

• Phase One (early orthodontics) helps correct jaw growth and major alignment issues

• Phase Two (full braces or aligners in the teen years) fine-tunes the bite and final tooth positions

The good news is that early treatment often makes Phase Two shorter and less complex. In some situations, early orthodontics can reduce the need for extractions or more invasive procedures later. In a smaller number of cases, early treatment may be all that is needed.