Two Phase Treatment

What is the advantage of two-phase orthodontic treatment?

Two-phase orthodontic treatment is a specialized process combining tooth straightening and controlling the proper skeletal and facial developmental changes. The over-all purpose of two-phase treatment is to maximize the opportunity to accomplish the ideal facial proportions for best attractive, healthy and functional result that will remain stable and pleasing throughout life.

What happens if I put off treatment?

Putting off treatment can result in a need for more invasive treatment later in life that may not completely fix the bite and smile. You may lose the window of opportunity to take advantage of your child’s growth to align the jaws, which can lead to better and more attractive fuller smile and facial harmony non-surgically and/or without the need of adult teeth extraction. Early treatment is most effective for achieving lasting results.

Phase — One (Phase I)

Simply said, Phase I is your foundation for a lifetime of beautiful smiles

The goal of phase I treatment is to help and guide the jaw develop in a way that will allow for the fitting of all the adult teeth and to improve the way the upper and lower jaws fit together. Children often exhibit early signs of jaw problems as they grow and develop. An upper and a lower jaw that is growing too much or is too narrow can be recognized at an early age. If children, over the age of six, are found to have a given jaw discrepancy, they are candidates for early orthodontic treatment. If not enough room is created to develop a path of eruption for adult teeth in an early timely manner it may result in tooth impaction (tooth unable to erupt naturally), or severely misplaced adult tooth. Also, if children around the age of 8 have crowded front teeth, early treatment can avoid the need to extract permanent teeth later. It is not always easy for parents to recognize their child’s orthodontic needs in an early and timely manner. Hence, an early orthodontic evaluation, at minimum, serves as a peace of mind for the parents in regards to their child’s present condition. We offer a complimentary initial consultation for your child. It is important as a parent to know what your child’s needs are, if any; or simply, for your peace of mind.

• Early preventionand planning can save your smile later
  The ample benefits of phase I treatment for children is well known. Receiving early treatment can prevent the removal of adult teeth later in life, or the need for aggressive surgical procedures to align the jaws
• So, what’s next? Making records to determine your unique treatment
  Orthodontic records will be utilized by your orthodontist for a detailed analysis and measurement to determine the type of the treatment, the duration, and the frequency of visits. Depending on the case different types of X-rays, photos, models of teeth maybe necessary. By studying the records your doctor will determine if a Phase I, or early prevention, is necessary.

Resting Period

In this phase, your child will be kept under observation to monitor the eruption of all the adult teeth and the proper growth and development. Retaining appliances may or may not be recommended depending on the jaw development and/or interference with adult teeth eruption. It is sometimes best to give the existing adult teeth some freedom of movement. Dr. Mark will determine that at the end of your child’s Phase I treatment.

• Goal of monitoring your teeth's progress
  By the end of Phase I you have taken advantage of the window of opportunity accommodated by the present growth and development to aligned the jaws, and have made more room available for the erupting adult teeth. This is the end of Phase I. Now, it’s time for observation and monitoring the progress of teeth eruption. Sometimes, selective removal of certain primary (baby) teeth may be in the best interest of adult teeth eruption during this resting phase. Therefore, periodic recall appointments for monitoring and observation of child are necessary, usually on a six-month basis. Once all the adult teeth are in the oral cavity and in their final positions your child will be evaluated for the final or second phase (phase II) of your orthodontic treatment.

Phase — Two

Stay healthy and look attractive

Now that the foundation of upper and lower jaw is set up to fit one another and are in harmony with the rest of the face the goal of the phase II (second and final phase) is to make sure each tooth has an exact location in the mouth. Normally, phase II starts when all adult teeth are in the oral cavity. Now, it’s time to set the adult teeth so they are in harmony with the lips, cheeks, tongue, and other teeth. Upon establishment of this equilibrium, now the teeth can function together properly. Usually, phase II involves upper and lower braces.

At the start of the phase I, initial orthodontic records are made and a diagnosis and custom treatment plan tailored. Usually, during phase I the treatment involves certain types of appliances to correct and re-align the jaws and the teeth. The phase II usually requires full braces on all the adult teeth for an average of 1.5 to 2 years. Duration of the treatment time depends on the level of difficulty and the amount of correction needed for optimum result. At the end of your orthodontic treatment the retention phase starts, where retainers are worn to ensure you retain your beautiful smile for life.