The earlier we catch problems with your children’s bites, the simpler they are to fix. The results are often better than if we wait and the treatments require less work. We may not need to keep braces on your children for as long when they are younger, which means less expense for you.

The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends that children visit an orthodontist as soon as their dentist notices that there might be a problem or before they are seven years old.

We may not have to do anything at this age, other than monitor their mouths. However, if we continue to watch your children, we can start treatment right away when something comes up!

Early intervention can be beneficial. We will watch how your children’s mouths and teeth grow and develop, so if we see something that needs to be done, we will do it. We will also know exactly when to start treatment, if it needed.

You may wonder why the AAO emphasizes age seven. At that age, the first adult molars are coming in and helping establish the back bite. So at that time, we can then evaluate your children’s bites, both front-to-back and side-to-side.

There are many reasons to start treatment early. Early treatment allows us to do the following:

• Make room for the permanent teeth when there is overcrowding
• Ensure facial symmetry
• Reduce trauma when the front teeth are protruding
• Also, early treatment reduces the need to remove teeth and reduces the time patients must wear braces.

Though many people don’t believe in orthodontic treatment, without it your children may have to deal the following problems according to AAO studies:

• Crossbites can result in unfavorable growth and uneven tooth wear.
• Open bites can result in tongue-thrusting habits and speech impediments.

While with orthodontic treatment, they may experience the following benefits:

• A healthier mouth since crowded teeth can be hard to brush causing cavities and gum disease.
• Fewer broken teeth since protruding teeth are more likely to get broken.

We truly believe that orthodontic care is about more than just a pretty smile. We believe that it makes patients healthier.

If you have any questions about orthodontic care, don’t hesitate to contact us today.