When to Get Braces or See a Braces Orthodontist

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When to Seek Orthodontic Treatment?

By Jerome Shuman, DMD, MS
Board Certified Orthodontist

Although the smile and bite may be improved at any age, certain orthodontic problems are more easily corrected at specific periods of growth and development. Most orthodontists agree that the best time to be seen for an initial visit is at age 7. By this age, the back molars have grown in, establishing the bite. At this stage, the orthodontist can evaluate the bite and look for orthodontic problems in the front-to-back and side-to-side tooth relationships. Early screening can improve your child’s likelihood of easily achieving a beautiful, well-functioning bite and smile.

Most problems do not require treatment at this early age, but the orthodontist can advise you on what future treatments may be necessary. Some patients do in fact require treatment between ages 7-9, usually for crossbites or underbites. An easy way to check if your child has a crossbite or an underbite is to have them bite their teeth together and smile. Look for any upper teeth that bite on the “tongue side” of any of the lower teeth. Your orthodontist can diagnose this best Other treatments at a younger age may involve correcting large overbites, creating room for crowded teeth, working with growth to align the jaws, reducing the risk of trauma to “buck teeth,” preserving space for extracted baby teeth, reducing the need for tooth removal, and reducing future treatment time with braces.

Most orthodontic problems such as crowding or overbites (“buck-teeth”) may be corrected in children ages 10-14, depending on the child’s dental and body development. Your orthodontist can time treatment with growth to achieve the best (and quickest) result. Again, although treatment may not begin for several years, age 7 is the best time for an initial screening appointment, so that timing of future treatment can be planned for the best result.

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Dr. Shuman is a Board Certified Orthodontist practicing in Portland, Maine. Read more about Dr. Shuman or visit his orthodontic practice online at www.stegemannandshuman.com.