First Orthodontic Check-up for your Child

The American Orthodontic Association recommends that all children have an orthodontic check up, with a specialist by the age of seven:

Your_Childs_First Orthodontic Check-up

This seems very early to the average parent, as so few adult teeth have erupted at this stage, wouldn’t it make more sense to attend at a later stage in life?

Early orthodontic assessments are important for two main reasons:

– at age six, the back permanent molars erupt into the mouth and that allows an orthodontist to evaluate how the upper and lower teeth will relate to each other because of the jaw positions.

– also, at this age, other problems such as crossbites can appear, which can sometimes lead to a shift or slide  when teeth are closed together

– the permanent front teeth (known as incisors)  erupt at this stage, and we look at the four adult upper and lower front adult teeth for potential problems such as:

-over-crowding

-extra or missing teeth

-deep bites that may damage the gums

– increased overjet and overbite ( prominent upper teeth)

The good news is that once an orthodontist can see that orthodontic development is normal, there is no need to review again until all the adult teeth have come through.

However, if an orthodontic problem is present and picked up early, this can mean more complex, expensive and invasive treatments such as the extraction of adult teeth can be avoided in the teenage years.

Other benefits of early treatment would be to:

-to achieve a good bite and function early in life

-reduce risk of trauma to prominent front teeth from contact sports and falling

-maximise the facial improvement when the bite is improved and allow lips to come together easily

– eliminate thumb sucking habits

– improve aesthetics and self-esteem and feel good about their dental appearance

If you have any questions or would like to book a consultation, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Newpark Clinic on 01-2104588.