A while back, I wrote a blog on when children should start seeing an orthodontist. Today, I want to talk about WHY it’s important to start bringing children in at a young age.

As I discussed in my previous blog, according to the American Association of Orthodontics, your child should see an orthodontist at the latest by age 7. In our offices, we offer a complimentary exam and consultation. This means it won’t cost you anything to bring your child in for an evaluation.

Why is it important to start treatment early?

It may be surprising to hear that 7 is the recommended age for the first visit, but there are a few main reasons it’s important.

3 Reasons To Start Early

1. If your child has a bad habit such as thumb sucking, it can cause problems like a malocclusion and can impact the way the teeth are coming in. It can also cause the bite to be distorted and, in some extreme cases, can actually alter the way the jaw looks if not treated early.

2. Because they have small mouths, children often experience crowding as their adult teeth start to come in. This is related to the size of the jaw and how the teeth are coming in.

3. Severe bite problems are also related to how the child’s jaw is growing and is another thing we look for in young patients.

Usually, anything we do in the interceptive phase is because of habit, crowding, or bad bite problems. These growth problems are best treated when teeth are still growing. The focus is to adjust the jaw and mouth so that the teeth are coming into the correct environment.

In some cases, we can solve the dental problems so well that the child won’t need any other orthodontic work later in life. Remember, you can save time and money by getting in early and evaluating the situation!

Drs Cater and Galante