Early Orthodontic Treatment

Smiles4KidsBlog

When we were younger, children were not often recommended to visit the orthodontist as early as seven or eight years old.  Dentists usually waited for all of the adult teeth to erupt into the mouth and then made their referrals to the orthodontist for treatment. Times are different now. Now, because of the amazing and newer treatment options available to patients, an extraordinary amount of preventive care can be accomplished at a younger age.

Why spend the time and money so young? Why not just wait and see how all of the teeth come in and then decide?

This was the exact philosophy 30 years ago. Because of this mindset, we ended up having a lot of 14 year-olds who needed multiple teeth extracted or bony surgery.  Why? Because as a pre-teens/teenagers many young adults have missed the window to help expand and guide the bony growth of the jaws.  When orthodontists are able to do this, children often have many less impacted teeth and need much less complicated and invasive orthodontic treatment as they get older.

Every child is different and we refer them to the orthodontist based on their needs. Also, we mentioned in last week’s Instagram that many of our parents ask about doing adult orthodontics themselves, especially Invisalign. You’re in luck! These are services our orthodontic team covers. If you have any questions about your kids or even your own teeth, please feel free to ask at their next appointment. See you soon!