Orthodontics
For Children

While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, we recommend visiting the orthodontist around age seven.

By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, making it easier for the orthodontist to diagnose and correct tooth and jaw problems sooner and without surgery.

Early treatment allows your orthodontist to:

Correct and guide the growth of your child’s jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
Prevent trauma to your child’s teeth
Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
Create more space for crowded teeth
Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
Correct thumb sucking and help improve minor speech problems
Align crooked or protrusive front teeth to enhance a child’s self-esteem
Identity and alleviate sleep apnea

For parents, it’s not always easy to know if your child may need orthodontic treatment.

Here are a few things to look for that may mean your child needs to see an orthodontist:

Early or late loss of baby teeth
A hard time chewing or biting food
Mouth breathing
Finger or thumb sucking
Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
Flared or “bucky” front teeth
Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight
Sleep apnea or difficulty breathing
Speech articulation problems or lisp

Please contact our practice to schedule an appointment for an orthodontic evaluation. Early treatment now will give your child a healthy, beautiful smile for the future.