Orthodontics for Kids | Braces Beaverton

Starting Smiles Smart

At Delplanche Orthodontics, your kids’ smiles are important!

You may think of orthodontics as being for teens, and that makes sense. The teen years are known as the braces years for a reason. But it turns out that it’s best to bring your child in by age seven to start their smile off right!

Why Children Need Orthodontics

The American Association of Orthodontists and Dr. Delplanche recommend that kids see an orthodontist around the age of seven years old.

Once your child gets to be around that age, Dr. Delplanche can evaluate the direction of their tooth and jaw development and, in some cases, may recommend early treatment. This is also known as Phase I treatment.

What Is Phase I Treatment?

Phase I treatment, also known as early interceptive treatment, focuses on addressing specific dental issues before they escalate. By using partial braces or other orthodontic appliances, we can guide jaw development and create space for permanent teeth.

By intervening early, Dr. Delplanche ensures that your child’s smile develops in the healthiest way possible. This phase often involves a period of observation, allowing us to monitor growth and adjust treatment as needed, setting the stage for a smooth phase II treatment later on.

How Does It Help?

When recommended, early orthodontic treatment can make a world of difference for your child’s oral health and quality of life.

Issues like severe crowding, crossbites, and protruding teeth can cause discomfort and affect chewing and speaking. Addressing these problems early ensures your child can eat, speak, and maintain oral hygiene more easily.

Since your child’s tooth and jaw development is so flexible at around age seven, Phase I treatment can prevent the need for more costly and extensive treatments in the future. By tackling these issues early, we reduce the risk of more severe problems developing, ultimately saving you time and money.

Plus, an early, well-aligned smile boosts your child’s confidence, helping them feel great about their appearance from a young age.

Do Good + Grow

As a parent, you already know that regular dental visits are an important part of maintaining your child’s healthy smile. But did you know that orthodontics can also play a key role in their oral health?

In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists and Dr. Delplanche recommend all children have an orthodontic evaluation by age seven! Is your child ready for their first orthodontic visit? We’d love to meet them!

The DO GOOD + GROW Kids Club is a fun and engaging program to help your child learn about the importance of taking good care of their smile and doing good at the same time. This is designed to build your child’s character and confidence while they are in pre-orthodontic observation or active orthodontic treatment in Lake Osweego or Beaverton.

DO GOOD + GROW members have the opportunity to complete six different activities and challenges to earn prizes to display with their exclusive club card and lanyard. You can rest assured that they will enjoy visits to the orthodontist!

Enroll your child in DO GOOD + GROW! For each DO + GROW summary your child submits, they will earn their pins to proudly display! Ask us more about this program at your child's first free consultation.

FAQs on Children's Orthodontics

Our early orthodontics treatments at Delplanche Orthodontics can help reduce or eliminate problems later in life and treat those that have already emerged. The goal is to correct the smallest problems to prevent them from becoming big ones later on.

Does every child need treatment at age 7?

What problems should I look for to determine if seeing an orthodontist is needed?

There are several problems a parent can look for in their growing child to determine if orthodontic treatment might be needed. There are a lot of changes that occur between the time your child loses their first tooth and when all the permanent teeth have erupted. Getting an assessment early-on helps to ensure that your child has the proper facial balance and beautiful smile as they continue to grow.

Here are some problems to look for to help determine if your child should see an orthodontist.

Your child lost his or her baby teeth earlier or later than average
The teeth seem to be too close together, in the wrong place, or are blocked
When the mouth is closed, the teeth do not come together correctly
Your child’s jaws and teeth seem to be out of proportion compared to other facial features
Chewing and biting food is difficult
He or she breathes through the mouth instead of the nose
Thumb and finger sucking was relied on for comfort after teeth emerged
The jaws pop when opening or closing

What is ‘Phase One & Phase Two’ treatment?

When a patient needs two phases of treatment, it means there will be two separate parts to your orthodontic journey. We try to avoid this when possible, but in many cases this is needed for the best results. The goals of Phase I treatment are to intercept an orthodontic problem early in order to reduce or eliminate it. Phase I is typically done when a child is still growing and can turn a difficult orthodontic problem into a more manageable one. This phase of treatment is usually around the age of 7-9. Dr. Delplanche typically recommends Phase I when waiting could cause orthodontic problems to worsen. Phase II treatment is typically done when all the permanent teeth have erupted and serves to properly align the teeth, which cannot be achieved when baby teeth are present. Overall, the cost for treatment for a patient who needs two phases of treatment will be higher because there is more treatment needed, however it does not cost double, and does not take double the time. Often times, a patient who needs two phases of treatment, finds that the second phase is quicker and easier due to having completed a first phase.

Will spacers be needed for braces or appliances?

What is Observation?

This is what we call our complimentary growth and development program to help you stay informed about your child’s dental development. Once we have seen your child for their first visit, we will want to continue to see them every six to twelve months to monitor their growth and development. These free assessments include a one-on-one meeting with Dr. Delplanche as well as x-rays and photos as needed. These appointments are part of your routine dental health check-up and typically include a high-five to encourage your child to keep up the great job with their home hygiene. But, sometimes treatment is needed to correct a bigger problem from developing in the future.

What is Invisalign First?

If you have any concerns or just want to see how your child is developing, give us a call. It’s a free meeting with no strings attached.

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Treatment Options

Invisalign First

Clear aligners made specifically for young and growing patients!

Limited Braces

Usually limited to the front teeth, with fun colors to choose at every appointment!

Functional and Fixed Appliances

Correct certain bite problems and influence growth.

Observation

Periodic visits to monitor growth and provide guidance.

Invisalign Expanders

When it comes to phase 1 treatment, sometimes Dr. Delplanche will recommend the use of a palatal expander. This is an important tool for children who need a little extra help with their developing jaw to ensure there’s enough space for all their teeth to grow in perfectly, and they just got an upgrade!

Invisalign palatal expanders are powerful, convenient, and less stressful for kids, since unlike traditional expanders, they don’t require a manual process where parents need to adjust the expanders with a key every day. Instead, just like with Invisalign aligners, the expander is a comfortable, removable appliance that does its job in the background!

If a palatal expander is right for your child, then you can have confidence in knowing they’re getting the latest and best treatment options right here at Delplanche Orthodontics.

Invisalign

Ready to Invest in Your Smile?

Schedule your free consultation with Dr. Delplanche today!

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Thank you Delplanche Orthodontics! We need more people like you in this world who make a big difference in others lives.To anyone reading this review, I highly recommend Delplanche Orthodontics.

Sherlina A.

I was very pleased with my experience with Delplanche Orthodontics and would highly recommend the practice to anyone looking for an orthodontist. Dr. Delplanche listens to his patients and designs a treatment plan that strikes the right balance of time, cost and effort to achieve the patient’s goals.

Christina B.

Dr. Delplanche is very insightful and engaged with his patients, and his staff is excellent and all extremely friendly. It is clear that they are treated well, and that they care about what they do and it shows in the quality of their services. Definitely go with DO!

Chris K.

Delplanche Orthodontics is super professional, timely, kid friendly. Dr. Delplanche explains everything very well to patient and parents. Would highly recommend. This has been a great experience for both of our kids.

Robyn H.

What a great and thorough experience. Dr. Deplanche explained his recommendations for my l.o. I felt like he had her best interest in mind. Amazing!

Jeni R.

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