- With Mayo Clinic prosthodontist
Alan Carr, D.M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Alan Carr, D.M.D.
Alan B. Carr, D.M.D.
Dr. Alan B. Carr, Department of Dental Specialties at Mayo Clinic, is a consultant in the Division of Prosthodontics and a professor of dentistry at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Carr, a native of Hattiesburg, MS., received his prosthodontics training at Mayo. Following his training he has was an assistant professor at Marquette University and then became a full professor at Ohio State University where his clinical duties included Director of Maxillofacial Prosthetics at the James Cancer Hospital. He returned to Mayo in 2000.
Dr. Carr is board certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics. He served in the Air Force and has degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He also is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, the American College of Prosthodontists and the American Dental Association. He has made dozens of international and national presentations, and is author of a dental textbook.
His clinical practice focuses on combined prosthodontics and reconstruction of patients with disabling oral conditions. His research interests include oral and craniofacial endosseous implants, tobacco cessation, and the impact of oral health on general health, especially for patients with chronic illness and the elderly.
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Question
Dental braces: When to start
I think my child might need dental braces to straighten her teeth. What's the right age to begin treatment with dental braces?
Answer
from Alan Carr, D.M.D.
It's a good idea to get an orthodontic evaluation by the time a child is 7 years old. An orthodontist is a dentist with additional training, who specializes in aligning and straightening teeth. The best time for your child to get dental braces depends on the severity and the cause of the misalignment of your child's teeth.
Traditionally, treatment with dental braces begins when a child has lost most of his or her baby (primary) teeth, and a majority of his or her adult (permanent) teeth have grown in — usually between the ages of 8 and 14.
Some orthodontists recommend an approach that involves the use of a dental appliance — not always dental braces — at an earlier age, while a child still has most of his or her baby teeth. This may especially be appealing to children who are stressed or embarrassed by crooked teeth or bite issues. Then, when a child has most of his or her adult teeth, a second phase of treatment is started — usually with dental braces. This second phase is thought by some to be shorter than a traditional course of braces if an early treatment has been performed.
Orthodontists who favor the traditional approach say that a two-phase approach to treatment actually increases the total time — and sometimes the expense — of orthodontic treatment with generally similar results.
The best choice for you and your child will largely depend on the severity of your child's dental problems. Talk with your child's dentist or orthodontist about what's the best course of action.
- Emerich K, et al. Later orthodontic complications caused by risk factors observed in the early years of life. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2010;169:651.
- Justus R. Are there any advantages of early Class II treatment? American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. 2008;134:717.
- Marsico E, et al. Effectiveness of orthodontic treatment with functional appliances on mandibular growth in the short term. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. 2011;139:24.
- Dolce C, et al. Timing of Class II treatment: Skeletal changes comparing 1-phase and 2-phase treatment. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. 2007;132:481.
- Braces and orthodontics. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/3061.aspx?currentTab=1. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Two-phase orthodontic treatment: The appropriate treatment at the appropriate time. American Association of Orthodontists. http://www.aaomembers.org/Resources/upload/Two_Phase_Treatment-l.pdf. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Harrison JE, et al. Orthodontic treatment for prominent upper front teeth in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007;CD003452.
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