Right Age to Begin

When should you first take your child to an orthodontist? According to Dr. Law and other experts, as well as professional orthodontist associations, the recommendation is by age seven. Sometimes, though, treatment will be required even earlier. If you think there is a problem before age 7, do not hesitate to call us.

Maybe you think you should wait until they lose all of their baby teeth. Or maybe you think their teeth look fine now, or will correct themselves as time goes. But consider the following:

By age seven, the first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in and cross-bites, crowding, and other problems can be evaluated.
While your child’s teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an Orthodontist can detect. When treatment begins early, the growth of the jaw and incoming permanent teeth can be guided to avoid problems down the road.

Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems, reduce risk of fracture to upper front teeth, and may prevent later surgical procedures.

In other words, early treatment can simplify later treatment.

Sometimes, braces are not even needed. Children at age seven, for example, who have crowding of their lower permanent teeth, can have a procedure to reduce the width of the adjacent baby teeth so their permanent teeth can then align on their own.

If your child is a pre-teen or teenager, don’t despair—it’s not too late to have their orthodontic condition assessed and treated. Today, there are so many options for braces that even self-conscious teens can keep smiling on their way to a great face.

Whether you know your child has an orthodontic problem, or you just want to be proactive, the best approach is to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Law.

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