Most parents don’t think they have to worry about braces until their child nears their high school years. Yet, the American Association of Orthodontics recommends that kids get seen by an orthodontist by the time they are seven years old. The age of 7 is a golden age when your child has both baby and adult teeth, which is important for determining whether or not your child will need orthodontic treatment. Seeing a child by age 7 gives your orthodontist a chance to examine your child’s growth of the upper and lower jaws as well as baby teeth to diagnose any underlying bite problems and see how the adult teeth are erupting to determine if any concerns need to be addressed early.
What Can The Orthodontist See At Age Seven
Here are some things an orthodontist can determine when you bring in your child for their first orthodontist visit:
- Crowding/Spacing Issues: By the time a child is 7, they should have enough baby teeth left and enough adult teeth that have come in to detect issues with spacing or crowding. The orthodontist can take x-rays to ensure all of your child’s baby teeth have been replaced by adult teeth.
- Overbites/Protrusion: Protruding front teeth can be embarrassing for kids, especially as they get older. Overbites can be addressed early, although they cannot be fully remediated until all the baby teeth are gone, and the adult teeth have grown in. An orthodontist can take steps to minimize the overbite and ease the social awkwardness that can accompany it.
- Misalignment: By the age of 7, it is possible to determine whether or not your child’s teeth are coming in straight or misaligned. If the teeth are misaligned, your orthodontist can take corrective measures to straighten them. In addition to looking crooked, misaligned teeth can lead to future problems with the teeth and gums since they wear out unevenly over time.
- Jaw growth deficiencies: Our face growth is determined both genetically and by the environment, such as various habits or associated medical pathologies. When jaws are not developing (or growing) properly, there are consequences for both oral health and general health, such as breathing, cardiovascular health, sleep health, brain development. Orthodontists are the specialists who can, at an early age, influence jaw growth. At age 7, only 65-70% of growth is completed therefore allowing the orthodontist time to influence the growth left. At age 12, when most adult teeth are erupted, jaw growth is almost 90% completed. Therefore, it could be too late to influence jaw growth when there is a deficiency.
Signs Your Child Should See An Orthodontist
If you still aren’t sure whether or not you should take your child to an orthodontist, talk to their dentist. You should also consider whether your child is experiencing any of the following signs that they need orthodontic care:
- Baby teeth that have fallen out either too early or too late: This can signify that an underlying issue needs to be addressed to prevent dental issues down the road.
- Difficulty chewing or biting: If your child has trouble chewing or biting food, they could have misaligned teeth or other issues that could be aided by an orthodontist.
- Regularly needs to breathe through their mouth: consistently breathing through the mouth can be associated with and contribute to severe long-term effects on brain development, cardiovascular health, sleep wellness, jaw growth. Recent research has demonstrated that early orthodontic care can help a child who normally breathes through their mouth to comfortably breathe through their nose because the ceiling of the mouth is the floor of the nose.
- Current or previous thumb or finger sucking: This can lead to an overbite and impaired growth of the jaws.
- Snoring or noisy sleeper, night grinding, restless sleep: all of these could be signs of the reduced airway that could be caused by under-developed jaws and lead to medical problems associated with sleep apnea. Orthodontic devices properly employed at an appropriate age can alleviate such symptoms.
- Child has been diagnosed with ADHD- a high percentage of children diagnosed with ADHD suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Orthodontic specialists play the main role in the team of providers involved in treating childhood obstructive sleep apnea.
- Crowded teeth: This can lead to misalignment along with other issues.
- A jaw that shifts or makes sounds can lead to a serious issue that should be handled sooner rather than later. If the jaw is too far forward or too far back.
If your child is experiencing any of the above signs, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Elena Black at Appalachian Orthodontics and Sleep Wellness Associates of Lynchburg. You do not need a referral from a dentist to schedule your complimentary consultation. At Appalachian Orthodontics of Lynchburg, Dr. Elena Black specializes in healthy smiles! If you would like to learn how we can help you achieve the smile of your dreams, schedule your complimentary consultation today! We are available in person or virtually to help! Text us at 800-459-4985. We can’t wait to see you!