As a result of a love for her thumb, our little girl had to get braces -- five years early.

Kristin Bailey Murphy: Our daughter, Lauren, has a beautiful smile -- but it wasn't always that way. She had been a dedicated thumb-sucker since birth, and it was beginning to take its toll on her mouth. Her father had sucked his thumb, too, and had feared that her permanent teeth would be a mess -- like his had been -- if we didn't help her break the habit soon. 

The alignment of her baby teeth had already become affected, so we decided to be proactive. We found an "anti-thumb-sucking" product online that could be slipped over her thumb and attached at the wrist. It took some getting used to (actually, that's putting it mildly -- she haaaated the thing), but it did work, and her baby teeth readjusted fairly quickly.

We thought we had caught it in time, but realized the damage had been done when, in kindergarten, her permanent teeth came in and protruded so far that she could stick out her tongue with her mouth shut. Her father and I mentally braced ourselves (pardon the pun) for the future tears this would bring when the cruelties of middle-school caught up with her.

Then, late last year, my sister told me that her son (who's five months younger than my daughter and another chronic thumb-sucker) had recently had a consultation for braces. "But he's 8," I'd said. "Don't kids have to be 12 or 13 before they get braces?"

The answer to that question, it turns out, is no. According to my nephew's orthodontist, Dr. B., there are two types of orthodontists: those who wait to start treatment until all teeth have "erupted," and those like him, who treat in two phases. The first phase, which is done when kids are between age 7 and 10, redirects the growth of teeth, breaks bad habits (such as thumb-sucking or tongue-thrust) and prevents significant problems (such as teeth-crowding and uneven facial symmetry) before they become severe. As a result, the child's self-image and self-esteem are improved, and the best possible face and smile are created.

There are other reasons as well, but "the bottom line," says Dr. B., "is that the finished case is far superior." The man wasn't lying. Lauren's not even halfway through the first phase of her treatment, and the results are incredible. Her front teeth are completely straight, and there is already a noticeable difference in her profile (her bottom jaw, as a result of the thumb-sucking, hadn't been able to develop as fast as the top). She may be the only second grader with a mouth full of metal, but hey: Three months ago, the child could eat watermelon through a picket fence.

This initial phase of her orthodontia will continue for another six months. Then her braces will come off, and she will have a retainer on her bottom teeth until it's time for the "second phase" -- which will occur after all of her permanent teeth come in (around age 12 or 13).

So, to all you moms of children with crazy teeth: There's an option out there for earlier treatment. It's not as expensive as you'd think, and the results -- well, they speak for themselves.

Kristin Bailey Murphy is a writer and photographer who lives in Southern Calif. with her surfer husband and three children. She is an accidental stay-at-home mom who's addicted to books, hiking and Target.