The American Association of Orthodontists and Dr. Berkinshaw recommend children have their first orthodontic evaluation by age seven. Sometimes major orthodontic work can be prevented or minimized by treatment before the problem has fully developed. Dr. Berkinshaw adheres to the philosophy that early treatment is warranted if it enhances the long-term stability and/or decreases the amount of treatment needed later on. Many children are simply evaluated early and monitored periodically until the appropriate time to begin orthodontic treatment. By utilizing the Damon System we have largely eliminated the need for early treatment using rapid palate expanders, instead accomplishing excellent long-term orthodontic results in a single phase of treatment.