Child Orthodontics

Name: Marvel Orthodontics™
Telephone: (02) 9122 1900

As a parent, orthodontics for children can feel daunting and overwhelming. At Marvel Orthodontics, we’re here to put your worries at ease and help you make the best decisions for your child and their future smile.

What is early intervention?

Early orthodontic intervention refers to treatment that is used before all permanent teeth come in. The timing of treatment is critical and dependent upon several different factors.

Patients with a big overjet (overbite) should start treatment early while still in their growth spurt, while patients with an underbite tend to have treatment delayed until growth is completed.

Benefits of early intervention

There are a multitude of benefits that can come from early intervention. From shorter treatment times, to speech pattern improvement, here are some of the top benefits of choosing early orthodontic treatment for your children:

More space for crowded teeth to grow in
Improved facial and jaw symmetry
Reduced risk of breaking or chipping any protruding teeth
Minimised speech obstruction
Reduced need or complexity of further treatment
Minimised need for future surgical treatment in severe cases

Types of early orthodontic treatment

Some types of children’s orthodontics treatments include:

Orthodontic Appliances

Braces

Invisalign® First

What are the different types of orthodontic appliances?

Depending on your treatment goal, orthodontic appliances are customised to correct your bite. Some of the commonly used appliances include:

Bite Correctors

This device is mainly used in young, growing patients. It helps to correct and improve jaw relationships while the patient is still growing.

For patients with a small lower jaw, and a big gap between their top teeth and lower teeth, bite correctors are often used to normalise the position and alignment of the lower jaw.

Expanders

Expanders help to widen the upper jaw. There are 2 main types of expanders – fixed or removable. Our orthodontist will decide which one is most suitable for your child based on various factors, including the age of the patient and the severity of the problem.

Upper Removable Appliance (URA)

URAs are commonly known as ‘plates’. They are removable appliances where patients can take them out for eating and brushing. They are commonly used as early intervention measures in children to correct issues like:

Deep bite
Traumatic bite
Narrow jaw
Crossbite

Why are orthodontic appliances important?

Age is very critical in correcting certain bite problems and jaw misalignment. Most of the appliances listed above can only be used while the patient is still growing. So we recommend having a consultation to first understand the issues so we can plan accordingly.

This helps you to avoid missing out on this narrow window of opportunity for early intervention which will prevent complicated treatment in the future.