Malocclusion, identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of three major oral diseases, profoundly impacts the dental-maxillofacial functions, facial esthetics, and long-term development of ~260 million children in China. Beyond its physical manifestations, malocclusion also significantly influences the psycho-social well-being of these children. Timely intervention in malocclusion can foster an environment conducive to dental-maxillofacial development and substantially decrease the incidence of malocclusion or reduce the severity and complexity of malocclusion in the permanent dentition, by mitigating the negative impact of abnormal environmental influences on the growth. Early orthodontic treatment encompasses accurate identification and treatment of dental and maxillofacial morphological and functional abnormalities during various stages of dental-maxillofacial development, ranging from fetal stages to the early permanent dentition phase. From an economic and societal standpoint, the urgency for effective early orthodontic treatments for malocclusions in childhood cannot be overstated, underlining its profound practical and social importance. This consensus paper discusses the characteristics and the detrimental effects of malocclusion in children, emphasizing critical need for early treatment. It elaborates on corresponding core principles and fundamental approaches in early orthodontics, proposing comprehensive guidance for preventive and interceptive orthodontic treatment, serving as a reference for clinicians engaged in early orthodontic treatment.

咬合不正被世界卫生组织（WHO）确定为三大口腔疾病之一，深刻影响着我国约2.6亿儿童的牙颌面功能、面部美观和长期发展。除了身体表现之外，咬合不正还显着影响这些儿童的心理社会健康。及时干预错牙合畸形可以营造有利于牙颌面部发育的环境，通过减轻异常环境对生长的负面影响，显着降低错牙合畸形的发生率或降低恒牙列错牙合畸形的严重性和复杂性。早期正畸治疗包括准确识别和治疗牙齿颌面部发育各个阶段（从胎儿阶段到早期恒牙列阶段）的牙齿和颌面部形态和功能异常。从经济和社会的角度来看，对儿童咬合不正进行有效的早期正畸治疗的紧迫性怎么强调也不为过，这突显了其深远的实际和社会重要性。本共识文件讨论了儿童错牙合畸形的特征和有害影响，强调早期治疗的迫切需要。阐述了相应的早期正畸治疗的核心原则和基本方法，对预防性和预防性正畸治疗提出了全面的指导，可供从事早期正畸治疗的临床医生参考。