There are quite a few reasons why your child may need to get braces. These reasons include overlapping, overcrowded, or crooked teeth. Your child could also have what is known as a bad bite, otherwise called a malocclusion. A malocclusion occurs when your child’s top and bottom jaw are different sizes. When your child’s upper jaw is larger in size than their lower jaw, that’s what is known as an overbite. When your child’s lower jaw is bigger, that’s what is known as an under bite.

Sometimes your child can experience problems with their teeth and jaw because they lost their baby teeth too soon, thumb sucking, or accidental injuries. However, sometimes your child can experience these issues because of heredity. If you or a family member had issues that needed to get treated by an orthodontist, the chances are good that your child will also need to see an orthodontist, too.

How to Get Started with Orthodontic Treatment

Dentists at clinics like the Williams Landing Dental Clinic will say that the first professional that will notice problems with your child’s teeth is their dentist. This will happen during a run-of-the-mill visit. If this happens, your child’s dentist will recommend that you see an orthodontist. An orthodontist is a specialist that treats teeth and jaw alignment issues. Not only will your child’s orthodontist decide whether or not they will need to get braces, they will also make decisions on the type of devices that they will need.

When Should my Child See an Orthodontist?

There’s no one “best age” for the first visit to an orthodontist. While some children first visit an orthodontist when they’re 7, others go when they are 9 years of age, and others go when they are teenagers. Nowadays, even adults can get treatment from an orthodontist. One is never too old to get orthodontic treatment. A lot of orthodontic experts say that children should first start seeing an orthodontist when they first get their permanent teeth. This usually happens around the age of 7. It is around this age that problems like overcrowding and an uneven bite will become more visible to your child’s orthodontist.

Just because you and your child are starting the process early does not mean that your child will automatically get braces from your orthodontist. All this means is that your child’s orthodontist will be better able to find issues and then decide upon the best time for your child to start orthodontic treatment, whether that means braces or any other devices in the orthodontic realm.