What is early interceptive treatment?

Whenever possible, Dr. Decoteau prefers to wait until most of the permanent teeth are present prior to beginning orthodontic treatment. However, there are circumstances which require early interceptive treatment in order to alleviate a condition which would create adverse growth if left untreated.

When treatment is begun early, Dr. Decoteau can guide the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower jaws, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. Early treatment can simplify later treatment.

What conditions require early treatment?

• skeletal imbalances such as a narrow upper jaw or an excessive "overbite" or "underbite"
• severely crowded teeth which require strategic early extractions of baby teeth
• habits which adversely affect the normal development of the teeth or bite, such as thumb-sucking or tongue-thrusting