When should my child see an orthodontist?

Baby teeth set the foundation for permanent teeth and their proper position. Parents should start taking care of their child’s oral health when the first tooth erupts. But as the baby teeth make way for a permanent set then you child may need an orthodontist, who is trained to align and straighten the teeth. The magic age is 7, most children have their first set of adult molars and more often front adult teeth have emerged as well. So, the right time to see you to the orthodontist for your child is at the age of 7 even while baby teeth are still in the mouth. In these ages, child's enough permanent teeth have emerged to know to evaluate the relationships developing between the teeth and can benefit from early orthodontic treatment. at this point, orthodontist easily guides the development of teeth and jaw to prevent complex orthodontic issues down the road.

Not every seven years need to see an orthodontist. But, it is important to take up a regular dental check-up with their dentist.

The benefits of starting early:

• Usually, children have harmful oral habits like thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, pacifiers. If this kind of habits continues for a longer time then it affects the bite worse. Orthodontist advice different behavioral techniques you can use to block the behavior.
• Misaligned to crooked teeth causes difficulty in pronouncing some words.
• Treatment carried out while the adult teeth are emerging will have enough space so that they come through in the correct position.

Interventional treatment:

When your child is 7, seeing an orthodontist is called interventional treatment. During the procedure, the orthodontist will not only suggest braces to align the teeth but also uses other types of teeth aligning procedure to address the issue.

Some of the most common interventional treatments include:

• Spacers: To hold the adult teeth as they emerge and guide them in the correct position.
• Palatal expander: It is used to prevent the crowding issue by gently widening the space in your child's mouth.
• Removable retainer: To improve the alignment for already erupted adult teeth and also to promote optimal alignment that has not yet emerged.

Visit Dr. Bowden to stay updated about your child’s oral health at the growing stage of teeth and jaw which benefits in various ways.