Some kids need treatment at a younger age. They may have issues of crossbite, severe crowding, severe protrusion, or other skeletal asymmetries that we want to address sooner than later. This important stage of treatment is meant to simplify future treatment, not eliminate it. The trick is figuring out who really needs it and why. That's where we love to help explain not just the how we should accomplish treatment, but also the why. If we feel that treatment is better served at an older age then we'll tell you. We want to help you get it straight!
While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that kids visit the orthodontist around age seven. By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, making it a time when Dr. Charoenkul can diagnose and correct alignment and bite issues sooner to prevent possibly more extensive treatments later.
For more information regarding Two-Phase Orthodontic treatment, click here.
Early treatment allows for:
- correct and guide the growth of your child’s jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
- regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
- create more space for crowded teeth
- avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
- correct thumb-sucking and help improve minor speech problems
- fixing sleep apnea and other sleep disordered breathing issues
Signs that may mean your child needs to see an orthodontist:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- A hard time chewing or biting food
- Mouth breathing
- Finger or thumb sucking
- Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
- Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
- Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
- Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
- Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight
Give us a call or send us an email to schedule an appointment for an orthodontic evaluation. Early treatment now will give your child a healthy, beautiful smile for the future.