Contrary to popular belief, postponing an orthodontic consultation until your child is a teenager is not a good idea. Their problems will not magically resolve themselves, risking your child’s oral health. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) suggests that children at the age of seven should ideally undergo an examination by an accredited orthodontist.
What Makes Age Seven Significant
By having their first evaluation around this time, enough permanent teeth have emerged in your child’s mouth, enabling professional detection and timely correction before any issue advances further. Only some irregularities, like crooked teeth, are easily detected without a comprehensive evaluation.
During the initial visit, The orthodontist will conduct an intraoral exam and take a panoramic x-ray for more profound insight beneath the gum tissue. They’ll identify missing, impacted, or extra teeth. It also allows the orthodontist to detect any teeth erupting in the wrong position.
Conditions That Benefit From Early Intervention
After the evaluation, the orthodontist will develop a treatment plan, even if some baby teeth are still present. Early treatment helps develop a better growth pattern for the facial and jaw bones, creating more space for incoming adult teeth.
Early treatment is beneficial for every condition, but some more than others. Common problems that respond well to early intervention include:
- Significantly crowded teeth
- Teeth with extreme spaces
- Underbites or crossbites
- Jaws that shift to one side when the teeth come together
- Extra or missing teeth
- Teeth that abnormally or don’t touch at all
- Finger, thumb, or pacifier sucking that has affected the teeth or jaw growth
You do not need a referral from a general dentist to schedule your child for an orthodontic appointment.
Get Your Child Early Intervention at Empire Dental Associates
At Empire Dental Associates, we have an orthodontic team that focuses on bite and facial development. You can trust our team to recommend the best treatment for your child and create a plan to correct any anomalies that are present in your child’s mouth. We provide orthodontic care at both our Beavercreek and West Chester locations. In addition to our traditional braces, we provide the orthodontic retainers your child will need after they complete their treatment plan. Contact us for a free initial consultation today!
