Braces For Kids

Bringing your child to Paulson Orthodontics for orthodontic care is the first step in helping your child gain confidence for life with a strong, healthy smile. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends every child visit an orthodontist by age 7. This may surprise you because orthodontic treatment is generally associated withadolescence, but seeing our Dr. Paulson at age 7 will help us to identify any jaw or dental issues that are easier to correct at this age. An early orthodontic examination (7-10 years) does not always resultin immediate treatment. After evaluating your child, we may simply want to monitor your child periodically while the permanent teeth erupt and the jaws and face continue to develop.

Types of Orthodontic Care for Children

Depending upon your child’s needs, we will create a treatment plan which will give the best opportunity for a healthy, confident smile. In most cases, children start active orthodontic treatment between 11-13 years of age, however, there are times that children may need two-phase orthodontic care which includes an interceptive treatment plan designed to guide and enhance your child’s own natural growth to establish proper jaw size, and to correctly position the jaws in relationship to each other. If your child needs two-phase orthodontic treatment, we will follow the completion of phase one treatment with periodic observation visits to monitor the growth and dental development. A second phase of orthodontic treatment will later be necessary after the eruption of most or all of the permanent teeth (age 11-13 years). This final tooth alignment and detailing is accomplished with the use of full braces to establish the optimal functional occlusion and smile esthetics.