Knowing when your child should see an Orthodontist can greatly impact their dental health and development. A referral letter from a general dentist is not essential.
By this time, your child will typically have enough adult teeth for the Orthodontist to evaluate how the teeth and jaws may develop in the future. This evaluation allows for detection of potential issues such as jaw alignment and crowding, which can be addressed early to prevent more complex treatments later on. It also allows the collection of baseline records to monitor growth and progress over time.
There are other signs in your child’s mouth that the Orthodontist should check.
Signs to seek advice from an orthodontist
- Early or late loss of baby teeth due to decay or trauma
- Teeth that don’t meet properly when biting together
- Difficulties with biting or chewing
- Upper and lower teeth that do not meet, or meet in an abnormal way; Jaws that extend too far forward, back, or shift improperly
- Thumb sucking
- Crowded, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
- Severely protruding teeth
- Grinding of the teeth or clenching of the jaw and teeth
- If someone else in your family needed braces
- Snoring and poor school performance
- Mouth breathing
Benefits of seeing an Orthodontist at a younger age
- Preventing problems before they become more serious
- More treatment options for correcting issues
- Deciding to take out or modify health insurance
- Addressing potential social and self-esteem issues related to dental appearance
What about Adult treament?
Follow the link below for more information about adult orthodontic treatments:
https://www.mountlawleyorthodontics.com.au/blog/am-i-too-old-for-orthodontic-treatment/