Dr. Renick believes in a very goal-oriented treatment where Phase I may either be limited to a specific problem area or it may involve the whole mouth. Phase I is meant to develop the dental arches and improve growth patterns whereas a later comprehensive second phase of treatment will coordinate the bite and address the remaining 14 teeth that are not usually present in early treatment.

Common goals of Phase I interceptive treatment include, but are not limited to:

• Developing the arches to avoid permanent tooth extraction later
• Growing the upper jaw with a palatal expander
• Making room for teeth to erupt correctly
• Improving jaw growth with orthopedic appliances to make jaw surgery less likely.

Phase I orthodontic treatment is highly advantageous. Because young children are still growing and their teeth have not finished erupting, we are able to guide the eruption of their teeth and affect their jaw growth to address any problems at an early stage and prevent future problems from occurring. This early interceptive treatment can reduce or eliminate problems such as jaw misalignment, crowding which may require extractions of permanent teeth, harmful oral habits, speech issues and trauma from protruding front teeth.

Give us a call today at 740-936-5003 to schedule your appointment at Renick Orthodontics and learn more about early orthodontic treatment in Sunbury, Galena and Johnstown, Ohio.