Early orthodontic treatment aims to guide and regulate the width of both dental arches. The main goal of early treatment is to provide enough space for the permanent teeth to erupt correctly. Good candidates for early treatment include: children who have difficulty biting properly, children who lose baby teeth early, children whose jaws click or grind during movement, bruxers, and children who use the mouth (as opposed to the nose and mouth) to breathe.

The goals of middle dentition treatments are to realign wayward jaws, to start to correct crossbites and to begin the process of gently straightening misaligned permanent teeth. Middle dentition marks a developmental period when the soft and hard tissues are extremely pliable. In some ways, therefore, it marks an optimal time to begin to correct a severe malocclusion.

Some appliances (like braces) are fixed and others are removable. Regardless of the appliance, the child will still be able to speak, eat, and chew in a normal fashion. However, children who are fitted with fixed dental appliances should take extra care to clean the entire oral region each day in order to reduce the risk of staining, decay, and later cosmetic damage.

Adolescent dentition is what springs to most parents’ minds when they think of orthodontic treatment. Some of the main goals of adolescent dentition include straightening the permanent teeth and improving the aesthetic appearance of the smile.

Most commonly during this period, the orthodontist will provide fixed or removable “braces” to gradually straighten the teeth. Upon completion of the orthodontic treatment, the adolescent may be required to wear a retainer in order to prevent the regression of the teeth to their original alignment.