Orthodontic treatment: Getting the timing right

The merits of early treatment has been subject to vociferous debate within orthodontics. We discuss the relative merits of early intervention in relation to the correction of intra- and inter-arch problems allied to skeletal discrepancy in all three spatial planes. Prior to initiating early treatment, the associated burden and potential yield should be considered. In particular, early intervention may be appropriate if it will either lead to early correction, the aversion of problems (e.g., pathological root resorption) or simplification of a later definitive treatment phase.