La Habra/Chino Hills, CA – As a parent, you want what is best for your children. Just as you monitor their overall health with regular checkups with their pediatricians, you should also be concerned with how their smiles are taking shape. It is recommended that children visit an orthodontist for the first time around the age of seven. But why is this the right time?
“The age of seven is when we typically start to see a good combination of adult teeth and primary teeth” says Dr. Robert Gire of Gire Orthodontics. “And before all their permanent teeth start to come in, we want to ensure that their jaws are growing properly to allow for adequate space for these larger teeth.”
Ten Reasons Your Seven-Year-Old Should See An Orthodontist
Orthodontic treatment is an important part of most people’s adolescent years. While many assume treatment isn’t necessary until the teen years, the recommended age for a child’s first visit with an orthodontist is seven. Dr. Robert Gire of Gire Orthodontics lists the top ten reasons why seven is the right age.
- Early orthodontic screenings can not only detect current issues, they can highlight potential future issues as well. The first orthodontic screening includes digital X-rays, digital images, and a physical examination of the child’s mouth. “At this time, not only can we notice current issues, we can also pinpoint potential issues that may arise in the future based on the current growth patterns of the child,” says Dr. Gire. These early visits help determine if there are areas of concern and it allows the orthodontist to begin treatment at precisely the right time to have the most impact.
- Early treatment can often prevent more complex issues later. For some patients early treatment is the best option in order to prevent future, more complex issues from arising. We can guide the teeth and growth of the jaw to accommodate future permanent teeth as they erupt making it much easier to straighten the smile later.
- Visiting an orthodontist at an earlier age allows us to identify and address bad habits that may be affecting the child’s smile. Tongue thrusting, thumb-sucking, and pacifier use can all be damaging to the child’s smile if they go on for too long. Other issues that can be a problem include mouth breathing, using a bottle for too long, and teeth grinding. By visiting an orthodontist at a young age, we can work to help curb these habits and correct issues caused by them before they worsen.
- Early treatment can correct a child’s jaw alignment while the jaw is still growing. Misaligned jaws can cause a host of problems for a child, including breaking and chipping of the teeth due to uneven pressure being placed when biting down. If treatment begins while the jaw is still growing, we can guide the growth of the jaw to its correct alignment. This eliminates more serious treatment, such as surgery, if treatment is left until after jaw growth has stopped.
- Orthodontic treatment can improve your child’s self-esteem. Dr. Gire treats patients all the time who are embarrassed by their crooked or crowded smiles or their misaligned jaws. We never want a patient to feel as if he or she needs to hide their smile. By beginning treatment at a young age, we can have a child’s smile back on track quickly and efficiently.
- We can treat issues related to a child’s permanent teeth at a time when it will have the most impact on their smile. The age of seven is ideal because it allows us to see how your child’s adult smile is taking shape. If we notice issues with how the permanent teeth are erupting we can address these issues before more serious concerns develop.
- Your orthodontist can guide the permanent teeth to their proper locations. We’ll take X-rays to see the locations of the teeth that have not yet erupted, and then determine what needs to be done to ensure they come in properly. If we guide these permanent teeth before they erupt we can lessen the chances a child might need extractions or teeth removal later.
- We can determine if a child may have extra teeth or missing teeth. X-rays allow us to see what is below the surface to be sure a child has everything they need to create their ideal smile. In rare cases, children may have an extra tooth or missing tooth, which we then need to accommodate for.
- An orthodontist can help determine if your child may suffer from sleep disordered breathing. Sleep disordered breathing is a serious medical disorder that affects many people. In some cases, children can experience episodes where their breathing stops and starts throughout their sleep cycles. If your child snores, gasps while sleeping, wakes up tired, or has trouble staying awake during the day, he or she may suffer from such a disorder. In some patients, sleep disordered breathing may occur because the jaw is constricted. An orthodontist can work to expand the jaw to allow an increase of airflow to allow for proper breathing at night.
- Orthodontic treatment may save you a bundle later. While orthodontic treatment may seem expensive at first, when you think about all that it can do for a child, it may seem like a bargain. First, you may save a lot of money on future dental work. That’s because crooked and crowded teeth are harder to clean making the child more susceptible to cavities and gum disease. Additionally, misaligned jaws can lead to teeth chipping, breaking and cracking leading to costly restorative repairs.
What Is the Best Age to “Begin” Orthodontic Treatment?
Well, that depends on each individual child. For some children, early interventive treatment will be the best route. For others, however, taking a wait and see approach is more appropriate.
The best way to determine what is the best approach for your child is to schedule a complimentary consultation with a board-certified orthodontist. At this appointment, the orthodontist will take X-rays and photos of your child’s mouth and do a physical exam to see how the smile is taking shape. From this information, the orthodontist can craft a treatment plan, if necessary.
Misalignments and development issues start to become the most apparent around the age of seven. If we can treat these issues at the right time, we can help prevent future issues. Untreated issues can lead to bigger problems in the future, such as chewing and speech problems, jaw and tooth pain, mouth-breathing, and other self-esteem issues.
“Our goal is always to provide the right treatment at the right time,” says Dr. Gire. “When we start seeing patients at the age of seven, we can identify issues and craft a treatment plan that will address them before they create bigger problems for your child.”
If treatment is indicated, that doesn’t necessarily mean your young child will be in braces. For some, clear aligners like Spark or Invisalign may be indicated to help create space. Arch development by correcting issues that are caused by a narrow palate is important at a young age because it is much easier to direct the growth of the jaw. Orthodontic appliances can work in conjunction with the natural development of the jaw bones, working to properly guide them.
Scheduling an orthodontic consultation for your child allows the orthodontist to intercept any issues that could cause more problems in the future. This makes future treatment much more efficient and effective.
Initial orthodontic visits are complimentary. If treatment is not indicated right away, children will be placed on simple and quick observation appointments that will happen every six to twelve months until Dr. Gire feels it is the right time for treatment to begin.
If you have a child around the age of seven and haven’t yet schedule a consultation, call Gire Orthodontics today at 562-690-1199 (La Habra) or 909-393-9911 (Chino Hills).
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