When Should My Child Start Orthodontic Treatment?

Orthodontic care is important to ensure your child’s teeth and mouth develop correctly for straight, effective use. However, many parents struggle with when to bring their child to the orthodontist for the first time. When is it appropriate? Cavalancia Orthodontics and our team is here to help you through this process. We want to give you all the facts and information about when your child should start orthodontic treatment and why it's appropriate at a young age. Our offices are conveniently located in Johnstown and Indiana, PA, making it easy for you and your family to stop by when necessary.

What Age Is Best?

Many people think the pre-teen and teenage years are when you should sign your child up for their first orthodontic appointment. However, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends seeing a childrens orthodontist at age seven. At an early age, an orthodontist can detect small problems with teeth or jaw development, while some baby teeth are still present. And, although your child’s teeth may look straight, a childrens orthodontist may see underlying issues with their bite or teeth alignment. By checking into your child’s teeth early, a treatment may be put in place that will prevent more serious problems from occurring later in life. With early action, our orthodontists may be able to achieve results for your child that would not have been possible years later. 

Why Should We Start So Early?

Early orthodontic treatment will give your orthodontist the opportunity to:

• Correct bad oral habits Improve the aesthetics of your child’s teeth
• Guide and monitor jaw growth
• Guide new, permanent teeth into a better, more desired position
• Improve the alignment and meeting point of the lips
• Decrease the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth

Grow & Monitor

At your child’s first orthodontic appointment, the orthodontist may find that your child’s teeth are perfectly fine at the moment. There may not be any underlying problems to correct. However, as they finish losing all of their baby teeth and grow their permanent teeth, we want to ensure that their teeth stay in the correct position. For this reason, we recommend monitoring the teeth as the child develops. That way, if treatment is ever needed, we can react in a proactive manner and catch the problem in the earliest stages. If braces are necessary, the Cavalancia Orthodontics team will walk you through all of your options, the types of braces we provide, and the process for your child.

Call Today!

If your child has not visited the orthodontist yet and is over the age of seven, come visit Cavalancia Orthodontics! Our friendly and personable staff will be more than happy to setup your first consultation and answer any questions or concerns you may have. You can feel confident knowing that you and your child will be in great hands at Cavalancia Orthodontics. Call or stop by our Johnstown or Indiana, PA office today! A beautiful, straight smile is achievable for your child!