Orthodontics for Children

You may have heard that it is never too late to look into orthodontic treatment, but did you know that it may also be better to start earlier than you might think? The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have an orthodontic screening no later than age 7. Why so early? Don’t they still have their baby teeth? Find out why early orthodontic intervention can be beneficial to the children in your life.

Why Earlier Is Better

Though every child is different, most are getting their molars around 6 years old, and this gives us a good understanding of how your child’s spacing will develop. If it looks like there will be overbite or crowding issues, early intervention can make any corrections easier and less painful and make any adjustments that are necessary later more efficient. Underbites, protruding teeth, and habits that are bad for oral health, such as thumb sucking and mouth breathing, can also be caught early and started on the road to correction. If these problems are ignored, they can lead to serious orthodontic problems in the future.

Besides promoting good oral health, catching problems early is good for your child’s self-image. Studies have shown that even in children as young as 10, a pleasing smile aids in having more healthy social interactions — and less teasing and bullying.

Here at The Best Braces, our Two Phase Treatment allows us to treat underlying problems first (phase one), so that when and if appliances such as braces are necessary later, the treatment will be easier to do and take less time than if phase one hadn’t been done.

Even if there are no corrections that are needed, bringing your child in at an early age allows us to establish a baseline and efficiently monitor for changes to catch problems before they can become serious issues. Share this information with your family and friends so they can also be aware of the benefits of early orthodontic screenings for their children.

Best,
The Team at The Best Braces