We, along with the American Association of Orthodontists® (AAO), recommend that a child receive their initial orthodontic screening by age 7. This early visit allows our orthodontists to evaluate your child’s oral growth and development and determine if orthodontic treatment will be needed and, if so, when it should begin.

Early orthodontic care is incredibly advantageous. As young children’s teeth have not finished erupting, we are able to guide tooth eruption and detect any potential problems before they can become serious and cause damage to their smile and oral health. Early orthodontic treatment may help to:

• Provide more room for erupting or crowded teeth.
• Reserve space for unerupted teeth.
• Guide jaw growth to improve or create facial symmetry.
• Reduce the likelihood of tooth extraction in the future.
• Reduce overall treatment time when comprehensive orthodontic treatment begins.

Our orthodontists will carefully examine your child’s teeth and jaws during their initial appointment to determine if early treatment is needed. If your child does require early treatment, we will review all their options with you so that you can make a fully informed decision, and we will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan that can meet your child’s needs and produce optimal results for their oral health.

Not every child needs early orthodontic treatment. For those that do not need a Phase 1 early orthodontic treatment, we will continue to monitor their growth and dental development with periodic observation appointments to determine proper time and treatment options for them.

To find out more about early orthodontics and to make an appointment with our orthodontists, contact our office today!