Download 5 How to tell if your child may need early orthodontic treatment

Getting Started
On Your Orthodontic Journey
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Contents
Planning your journey
3
Early prevention
4
Early treatment
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The Orthodontic Journey Timeline
10
A smile for a lifetime
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Let the journey begin
16
About Schatz Orthodontics
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A Message from Dr. Schatz
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Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
Planning Your Journey
When you’re planning a trip, there are some obvious things you
need to do:
1. Develop a timeline
2. Plan the best route to your destination
3. Pack all the right things to make your journey a pleasant one
Getting started on your orthodontic journey is just the same.
Whether you are developing a plan for yourself or your child, it’s
important that you plan ahead, do your research, and map out a
route that will lead you to a lifetime of beautiful smiles.
Title of the book
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Early
Prevention
 What is the difference between early orthodontic evaluation
and early orthodontic treatment?
 Why might my child need early treatment?
 How will early treatment benefit my child in the long-run?
These are just a few of the questions
surrounding the topic of early
orthodontic treatment for children.
The American Association of
Orthodontists recommends that
children first see an orthodontist as
early as age seven. By this age, most
children have a mix of baby teeth and
adult teeth, making it easier for the
orthodontist to diagnose and correct
tooth and jaw problems sooner and
without surgery. An evaluation by our
team at Schatz Orthodontics can
determine whether or not your child
will need orthodontic treatment.
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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How to tell if your child may need early
orthodontic treatment:

Early or late loss of baby teeth (Your child may start losing teeth
around age five, and should have the majority of the permanent
teeth in by 11-13 years old.)

Difficulty chewing and/or biting food

Mouth breathing

Continuing to suck thumb or fingers after age five

Speech impediments

Protruding teeth (The top teeth and the bottom teeth extend away
from each other.)

Teeth that don’t come together in a normal manner or even at all

Shifting of the jaw when your child opens or closes his or her
mouth (crossbites)

Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face

Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth

Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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Tools for the
Journey
Even if it is determined that your child
doesn’t need orthodontic treatment,
an initial visit to an orthodontist will not
only bring you peace of mind as a
parent but will also give you the
opportunity to help develop a road
map for your child’s future dental care.
What causes orthodontic problems,
and how will early prevention
benefit my child?
Orthodontic problems such as
crowding of the teeth, too much space
between the teeth, jaw growth
problems, protruding teeth, and bad
bites may be inherited; or, may also
result from injury to the mouth, early
or late loss of baby teeth, or thumb
sucking habits.
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
There are a lot of
treatment options
these days, from
retainers to clear
aligners to invisible,
metal, and ceramic
braces. They each
have their uses.
Orthodontists have
the specialized
knowledge to
consider all
possibilities, based
on variables like
age, possible jaw
imbalances,
differences in the
size of teeth, and
more. They know
what to use and
when to use it, and
will work with you to
make the best
decision for you
and your child.
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Most children have lost all their baby teeth
by age 13 and, by the end of their teen
years, the jaw bones will no longer continue
to grow. Orthodontic procedures for adults
often take more time and can involve tooth
extraction and the possibility of oral surgery.
As a child, receiving early orthodontic
treatment can help prevent the need for
orthodontics as an adult, and reduce the
chance of extraction or surgery in the future.
If your child is between the ages of seven
and eight and shows signs of needing
orthodontic care, or if you have been
directed by your family dentist to visit the
orthodontist, please contact our office and
schedule an appointment. We will provide
your child with an initial exam, and discuss
with you the best steps to take toward caring
for your child’s smile.
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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Early
Treatment
Whereas conventional orthodontic treatment typically begins during
the early teen years (age 11-13), early treatment, if your child would
benefit from it, typically begins around age eight or nine. The goal of
early treatment is to correct the growth of the jaw and certain bite
problems such as an underbite. Early treatment also helps to make
room for permanent teeth to come in properly, lessening the chance
for extractions in the future.
Early treatment allows your orthodontist to:

Correct and guide the growth of your child’s jaw to help the
permanent teeth come in straight

Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches

Create more space for crowded teeth

Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life

Correct thumb sucking and help improve minor speech problems
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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Early
Treatment
Phase One
Phase Two
Simply put, Phase One is
early orthodontic treatment
that is sometimes
recommended to help or
prevent bigger
dental/orthodontic
problems from occurring.
Orthodontic appliances,
retainer-like devices, or
partial braces may be
placed to prevent a
problem from occurring,
correct a current problem,
or help to modify your
child’s growth and dental
development. It isn’t
uncommon for a second
phase of treatment to be
needed after this first
phase.
In simple terms, Phase
Two orthodontic treatment
usually involves full upper
and lower braces, once all
of the permanent teeth are
in. When Phase One
treatment has been
successfully completed, the
duration of the second
orthodontic treatment
phase may be reduced
significantly and will require
less complex treatment,
reflecting the benefit of the
earlier intervention.
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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Your Child
’s Orthodontic Journey Timeline
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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The Orthodontic Journey
Ages 7-10
 Need to monitor to ensure normal eruption of permanent teeth
at the right time
 Need to plan for lack of spacing for the larger permanent teeth if
crowding is an issue
 Need to look for bite issues that can affect growth of the jaws.
Once patients develop imbalances in their jaw development, it is
more difficult to correct.
 Crowding can often be reduced through expansion of the dental
arches
The Orthodontic Journey
Ages 11-14
 Ideal age due to peers undergoing
treatment/social acceptance of
treatment
 Ideal timing for certain
appliances/procedures that require
growth. Missing this growth support
may severely limit options for
treatment and result in need for more
complex treatment or compromised
treatment options.
 Permanent teeth are generally present
 Teeth that are unable to erupt
normally due to abnormal loss of
deciduous (baby) teeth or severe
crowding can be addressed if needed
to enable teeth to erupt at their
normal timing. Delaying normal
eruption may cause problems with the
teeth that are unable to erupt normally
as well as cause damage to the other
teeth.
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The Orthodontic Journey
Ages 15-18
 Finishing before high
school ends generally
makes orthodontic
treatment more
convenient
 Nobody wants to have
braces their senior year
 Expansion can often be
accomplished without
surgery if necessary at this
age
 Teeth that haven’t come in
can still be addressed with
less difficulty than in
adults
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A
Smile for a Lifetime
Who doesn’t want a great smile? A lot of adults who had given up
on ever having attractive, straight teeth are now finding their way to
the orthodontist, thanks to recent technology that has made braces
much less visible and much more comfortable.
While some adults simply want to improve their appearance, others
are interested in correcting problems with their teeth or jaws that
can cause real damage over time. Tooth decay, gum disease, early
wear and tear – all can be a result of teeth and jaws that are not
properly aligned.
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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A
Smile for a
Lifetime
Here are just a few of the reasons more adults are seeking the
help of their orthodontist, often in tandem with their children:
• To improve the aesthetics of your smile
• To make it easier to keep crowded teeth clean and maintain
healthy gums
• To prevent abnormal wear of the tooth enamel
• To establish a healthier, more functional bite
• To help with TMD/TMJ pain and headaches in cases where
the bite may be a contributing cause
• To enable or enhance restorative work that may be
necessary with your dentist, such as creating space for
dental implants, aligning teeth prior to crowns, veneers or
other cosmetic dentistry
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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Let the Journey Begin
Now that you have done your homework and become familiar with the
natural progression of your child’s orthodontic needs, I invite you to contact
my practice to schedule a free consultation to really get you started on the
journey to ensuring your child a lifetime of beautiful smiles.
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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About Schatz Orthodontics
Our practice is designed to treat patients of all ages, and we serve multiple generations
of families. It is truly rewarding when a child receives treatment, and the parent or
relative schedules his or her own orthodontic consultation because they want the same
positive experience!
When you step through our doors, you will know what makes our practice truly unique.
Our island and surf theme makes you smile from the beginning! And we utilize the latest
orthodontic technology and techniques to offer our patients the most efficient and
comfortable treatments possible. We truly care about the patients we serve, and want
to provide you and your family with the best orthodontic experiences possible.
Getting Started On Your Orthodontic Journey
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A Message from Dr. Eric Schatz
My profession gives me the unique
opportunity to help people in my
community get the smile they deserve. I
am happy to use my experience,
knowledge and skills to create beautiful
smiles and happy patients! I strive to
provide my patients with efficient and
comprehensive treatment for smiles that
last a lifetime.
We love to have fun at our practice! Our
island theme makes our patients and
families feel relaxed, and my talented
staff is outgoing and friendly. Our office
has a lot of energy, and you can always
hear laughter between staff and patients.
It’s a great place to be, and our families
really appreciate the comfortable, laidback vibe.
My team is experienced in orthodontics
and excited about being here. I feel great
when I say I have total confidence in my
team, and I truly enjoy working with each
one of them.
Aloha! And I hope to see you soon.
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Eric Schatz, DDS
Schatz Orthodontics
22610 U.S. Highway 281, Suite 201
San Antonio, Texas 78258
210-494-4606 [email protected]
SchatzOrthodontics.com
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