Two-Phase Treatment

Two-phase orthodontics typically involves a short course of early treatment for patients typically aged between 7 and 11 years when there is a mixture of baby and adult teeth, and then a more comprehensive second phase of treatment usually around the age of 12 or 13 years when all of the remaining adult teeth have erupted.

For some patients, early treatment can prevent the development of serious problems and the need for complicated, more invasive treatment at a later age. In many cases space can be made to avoid teeth becoming impacted or needing to be extracted later on.

Splitting orthodontic treatment into two phases generally results in a more comfortable experience overall, and isn’t typically more expensive than pursuing one phase of adolescent treatment. In fact, two-phase treatment may be cheaper if it prevents the need for surgery, extractions or other aesthetic treatments.