Orthodontics for Children
While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, Babies that are born with a tongue tie should be seen withing the first week of birth for correction. By age 3 children have their baby molars and growth and development of their jaws is possible to get them on track to growing correctly. Diagnosing breathing disorders and gorwth and development problems are better corrected early rather than waiting.
Early treatment allows your orthodontist to:
- Correct and guide the growth of your child's jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
- Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
- Create more space for crowded teeth
- Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
- Correct thumb sucking and help improve minor speech problems
- Improve airway and breathing issues
For parents, it's not always easy to know if your child may need orthodontic treatment.
Here are a few things to look for that may mean your child needs to see an orthodontist:
- Snoring
- Night terrors
- Bed wetting
- ADD, ADHD
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- A hard time chewing or biting food
- Mouth breathing
- Finger or thumb sucking
- Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
- Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
- Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
- Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
- Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight
Please contact our practice to schedule an appointment for an orthodontic evaluation. Early treatment now will give your child a healthy, beautiful smile for the future.