Phase 1 Expansion/ Alignment. Finding The Room For Adult Teeth

A 9-year-old male and his mother came to us because of excessive crowding and a crossbite. His mom was worried about adult teeth coming in.

Patient. Jason first came to us as a 9-year-old child who exhibited excessive crowding of his teeth. He also had an anterior crossbite. His mom worried that his adult teeth, just beginning to show, were erupting in the wrong position.

Problem. Jason had the beginnings of an overcrowded mouth that would only get worse. He was still growing. We had to make room for erupting teeth and help to straighten his already present teeth.  Crossbites are not unusual in young children. They occur when an upper tooth erupts behind a lower tooth. Often the cause is due to excessive crowding, which was true in Jason’s case. Early orthodontic care is critical to treat crossbites to prevent gum recession, bone loss, and tooth damage.

Solution. This patient came to our office at the perfect time to eliminate the crossbite and to create adequate room for the rest of the adult teeth to erupt. Jason needed an arch expander to make room for his adult teeth, so we started with an upper expander. Then we added upper and lower partial braces to straighten the teeth he already had. Our solution was methodical. We wanted to keep Jason comfortable and not do too much at once. And he was still growing, so taking it step-by-step allowed for progression during growth.

Process. Jason was a young boy as he entered our practice. So of course he was hesitant. But by not throwing too much at him at once, we gained his confidence, and he trusted us. While he was hesitant at first, he was a great patient throughout the process. He actually came to our practice at the perfect time. Now he is ready to keep growing and to lose the remaining baby teeth.

Result.  This young boy is a great example of how Phase 1 treatment can avoid problems later. Seeing him early enough to add an expander and create room for upcoming teeth was instrumental in a very successful result. Jason was our patient for a little under 2 years. And when both he and his mom saw the final result, they were extremely thrilled. They could see by the photos just how far they had come. And Jason entered his preteen years with more confidence and a healthier mouth!  

A special note about treating young patients: The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have an initial evaluation by an orthodontist by age 7 to evaluate the child's tooth eruption and growth pattern.  Not every child will need early treatment, but those that do will greatly benefit from it.