Back when young, many years ago, a child would only visit the orthodontist when he or she was a teenager. At that point, much of the growing was done, and correcting misaligned teeth could involve a lot of pain an effort, including tooth removal and years of braces.
Thankfully, technology and techniques in orthodonture have improved greatly since then. There is now an emphasis on a more gentle approach that works with your child’s natural anatomy to make needed corrections. There are devices now that can ease your child’s jaw into a more normal position as he or she grows.
This means that it is really important to start early. The earlier you start, the easier and more effective the treatment can be.
Starting early also has another advantage. Kids can spend get their braces over with before the more self-conscious teen years, or at least spend less of the teen years in braces, since all or most of the corrections would be done before the teens.
So when should you have your child evaluated by an orthodontist? You can first start with your own family dentist for recommendations. He or she can often tell if your child is headed for braces. When those braces will start depends on a lot of things, such as anatomy, the severity of the correction needed and whether or not most or all of the permanent teeth have already come in.
Most children should be evaluated between the ages of seven and nine years of age, especially if the parents had to have braces. A good orthodontist will take x-rays and evaluate the state of your child’s teeth and give a recommendation about when to start or ask to see your child in another year for a re-evaluation. Most insurance will cover this initial consultation, and many dentists offer it for free, minus the cost of x-rays.
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