12 to 13 years old – Early permanent dentition
Image adapted from CDC Gov.
This age group encompasses patients in the late pre-pubertal and pubertal onset stages, especially girls, and this is a critical time for orthodontic management. These patients normally possess their late mixed dentition or full early permanent dentition so any dental malocclusion, spacing and skeletal relationships can usually be assessed in its entirety and treated comprehensively. Orthopaedic correction is possible and often optimal for certain treatment options at this age group, such as the single-phase Class II treatment. A full orthodontic examination should be performed for every patient in this age group and if the dentist is uncertain a referral to a specialist orthodontist will be beneficial.
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