The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children visit an orthodontist at the age of 7. Even though this may seem early to some, the rationale is that children start to have their permanent teeth erupt around this age and also begin losing baby teeth. By visiting our office around age 7, we can assess important needs like jaw growth patterns, spacing, crowding, and any other abnormalities that your child may exhibit.

During the first visit to our office, we will perform an initial exam. Many children will not require any treatment at this time, so we will schedule periodic visits to monitor their progress until their permanent teeth do erupt. However, some children do require treatment at this time to intercept potentially problematic issues as the child ages. By intercepting these issues earlier instead of later, we can limit and sometimes avoid all together, more significant issues later on. Some examples are constricted arches, teeth in crossbites, or impacted teeth.

It is very easy to be fooled by the appearance of straight teeth! Straight teeth can sometimes camouflage underlying issues that can only be seen in the clinical exam or on x-rays taken by your orthodontic specialist. In addition to the importance of the exam, timing of that visit is also important to successful orthodontic treatment. It is much better to catch and monitor a potential problem early, as opposed to seeing your child too late and having to correct it.