This article offers a series of justifications for early interceptive treatment as opposed to later treatment that might necessarily involve the extraction of permanent teeth. The biological responses of the membranous sutures, of the periosteum, of the periodontal ligaments, and of the condylar cartilages but also of the potential for growth in stature, well before the pre-pubertal growth spurt and the administration of effective treatments, are also reasons that support an early phase of treatment, in the early mixed dentition, even in the primary dentition!

Some early orthodontic or orthopedic treatments and their appliances such as buccal screens, myofunctional trainers, occlusal splints or sectional expansion plates and other maxillary expansion and protraction appliances are useful for correcting deformities or severe under-developments that are already in place.

But myofunctional re-education, when carried out according to a structured and prioritized program, is perhaps the most important because these etiopathogenic treatments used to both suppress the causes of the deformations and to restore balanced function, make it possible to re-establish a normal growth pattern and perhaps consequently, to avoid the need for extraction of permanent teeth.

This article reviews the normal and pathological healing processes that take place after tooth extraction in orthodontic cases, and their associated complications within the mucosa or alveolar socket, such as gingival clefts or bone defects. The general and local factors that are involved in such deficient healing cases are detailed, in parallel to surgical procedure to enhance ridge preservation or to ‘regenerate’ tissues. The relationships between the orthodontist and periodontist are underlined, because both praticioners assess patient's risk factors and follow him during this treatment stage.

Over the past decade, the interest for miniscrews is continuously growing as confirmed by the amount of recent published studies. In particular, their use allows to make corrections in a single phase and avoids extractions of premolars, while keeping usual goals of treatment. Main results of pilot studies and some clinical examples are presented here to illustrate our therapeutic approach for the treatment of tooth discrepancy in Class I, Class II and Class III situations.