When should my child see an Orthodontist?
WHEN SHOULD MY CHILDREN FIRST VISIT AN ORTHODONTIC SPECIALIST?
Like any concerned parent, you want to ensure your children receive the best health and dental care available. With this in mind, your children begin seeing the family physician and dentist at an early age to attend to any immediate concerns, as well as taking preventive measures to avoid future problems. But when should your children pay their first visit to a certified specialist in orthodontics? How important is correcting their bite at an early age? Is future orthodontic treatment inevitable? This information sheet has been provided to answer some of your questions regarding orthodontic treatment.
When should my child pay his or her first visit to the Orthodontic Specialist?
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) suggests that children should be seen no later than seven years of age for their first orthodontic evaluation. Your family dentist will be happy to provide a referral to an Orthodontist in your area to assess your child?s occlusion (bite), facial growth and general amount of dental crowding. This assessment may reveal the need for early interceptive treatment, future comprehensive orthodontic care or no treatment at all!
Shouldn't I wait until all of my child's permanent teeth are present before visiting an Orthodontic Specialist?
Just as a visit to the family physician early in life can minimize or prevent future treatment, an early visit with an Orthodontic Specialist can provide insights for the patient and the parent regarding future orthodontic treatment suggestions. In addition, preventive measures may be taken earlier to minimize the extent of future treatment. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure!
What types of treatment might the Orthodontic Specialist Suggest?
Every child that is seen has unique concerns and conditions involving facial growth and bite relationships. As such, an Orthodontic Specialist provides every child with a short and long term treatment plan that is tailored to the patient's specific needs. At an early age, the plan may consist of short-term forms of treatment to help guide jaw growth, improve the bite, eliminate thumb-sucking habits and provide a better environment to encourage the development of the permanent teeth into their proper positions. This plan may also entail monitoring the growth and development of the teeth and jaws without the need for any interceptive treatment at an early age. As the child reaches an older age, the need for comprehensive treatment (braces) may be required.
Does orthodontic treatment hurt?
Fortunately, the science and art of orthodontic care has evolved to a state of esthetically appealing appliances during orthodontic care, along with the advent of space age materials that provide comfortable, effective treatment with a reduced number of visits to the Orthodontist during the treatment period. Due to these updated materials and techniques, the bonus is a general lack of discomfort to the patient during treatment and a more pleasant orthodontic experience.
Working together with an Orthodontic Specialist can ensure we obtain the common goal we have for our children,
A Beautiful, Healthy Smile for a Lifetime