There’s a reason that the American Association of Orthodontics recommends your child get an
evaluation by age 7.
At this age, your child is still shedding their primary teeth and getting their permanent teeth in.
Their mouths are growing and flexible. At this age, some orthodontic issues may be present,
such as a bad bite and crooked or crowded teeth.
Getting your child evaluated for orthodontia at a young age has numerous benefits that your
child will thank you for in the future!
Facilitate Good Oral Hygiene
If your child’s teeth are crowded or crooked, they can be difficult to clean. In addition, children
are still developing their brushing habits, so it’s likely that every area that needs to be cleaned
in the mouth isn’t getting cleaned. With the right orthodontic treatment, your orthodontist can
make room for all your child’s teeth to safely and healthily emerge.
For people who have overcrowded teeth, it can be impossible to get in-between all the tight
spaces where plaque, bacteria, and food particles accumulate. With orthodontic intervention at
the proper age, you can get those teeth into their proper positions and help prevent cavities
and gum disease as your child grows up!
Correct Serious Bite Problems
At the age of 7, your child’s jaw is still growing. Your orthodontist should be able to evaluate
your child’s bite and determine if early orthodontic treatment is necessary. Your child may
suffer from an overbite, underbite, open bite, or crossbite. Bad bites do more than affect your
child’s appearance—they can lead to jaw pain, headaches, and trouble chewing and speaking.
Early orthodontic treatment catches your child’s jaw while it’s still growing and can fix a bad
bite before it becomes problematic or painful for your child. It can also save you and your child
future stress from dealing with the bite as the jaw becomes more mature and more difficult to
fix as they get older.
Save Time and Money
Since orthodontic treatment that’s facilitated early on in your child’s life can halt problems
before they have a chance to develop, this can save you time and money in the future. Your
child’s bones are still flexible, so their treatment can be faster and more effective. Consulting
with an orthodontist at the proper age is often cheaper than waiting to seek treatment.
In addition, your child will have a healthy foundation for all their permanent teeth to come in
properly, therefore potentially eliminating the need for future orthodontic work, and
sometimes even helping to halt the progression of tooth decay or gum disease, as your child
will be able to more easily clean teeth that are in the correct positions, and not crowded or
crooked.
Orthodontic treatment is necessary for many children to have a healthy smile for life. Have you
gotten your child evaluated by a professional orthodontist yet? It’s never too late to begin
correcting you or your child’s smile. Schedule a consultation today to discover how you can
create a healthy foundation for your child’s oral health for life!
