Why Your Child Should See an Orthodontist by Age 7

At Morita Orthodontics, we strive to help our patients develop beautiful, healthy smiles that last a lifetime. For many patients, that means getting braces as an adolescent, while for others, it’ll mean pursuing adult orthodontic treatment – but for some patients, it’s best for treatment to start early. Because of this, we often hear parents asking when to bring their child in for their first orthodontic evaluation. The answer? 7 is the magic number.

The Importance of Early Orthodontic Screening

In keeping with the American Association of Orthodontists, we recommend that parents bring their children in for an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. At this age, the back bite is established, which lets us evaluate both side-to-side and front-to-back tooth relationships. We’ll be able to assess the development of the bite and make sure everything is coming in smoothly – and we’ll also be able to spot any current problems or problems that may develop in the future.

For most patients, we won’t start treatment this early. Even then, evaluating early lets us monitor the child’s development, choosing the ideal time to start treatment. For other conditions, though, we will need to start treatment early. This is the case for malocclusion like crossbite, crowding, and spacing issues, all of which are easier to treat when treatment starts early. By starting treatment early, we can help the smile grow correctly, minimizing the amount of time that children need to spend in braces and setting them up for a healthy, beautiful, lifelong smile.

Get Your Child Started On The Right Path

We hope you’ve found this blog informative, and if you have any questions, we’re always here to answer them—just give us a call at 808-486-5505 for our Aiea office or 808-941-3355 for our Honolulu office. If you’d like to bring your child in for an evaluation or come set up an appointment for yourself, feel free to do so using our easy online form. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we hope to see you back at this blog for more tips and info on orthodontic health!