What is the Best Time for Orthodontic Treatment?

Many parents wonder what the best time is to seek orthodontic treatment for their child. Sometimes bad bites, also known as malocclusions, can begin to develop at 2 to 3 years of age, but typically, children should be examined by a dentist or orthodontist at age 7 to identify possible future problems. This is the age when your child's first teeth start to come in and although children 11 to 15 years of age are the most responsive to orthodontic treatment. However, this early check-up can evaluate cross-bites, crowding, and the development of dental protrusions. There are three stages in which your child can receive treatment from an orthodontist

Stage 1

This stage is called early treatment and includes children that are treated between 2 and 6 years of age. Early treatment is primarily concerned with regulating the width of upper and lower dental arches, guiding permanent teeth into the correct position, and correcting harmful habits like thumb sucking. in general, early treatment can be very effective and sometimes eliminate the need for orthodontic treatment later on.

Some signs that your child may need early orthodontic treatment are:

Mouth breathing
Thumb or finger sucking
Crowding or misplaced teeth
Jaws that shift or make sound
Difficulty biting
Early or late loss of baby teeth

Stage 2

This second stage is called middle dentition and deals with children ages 6 to 12. Often, a child's permanent teeth do not come in straight, so they need to be aligned properly. This stage is also concerned with realigning the jaw in the incidence of cross bites. Stage 2 is a good time to start treatment because it is the phase in which a child's hard and soft tissues are easily molded by orthodontic treatment.

Stage 3

Stage three or adolescent dentition starts at 13 years of age and goes throughout the teenage years. It is concerned with permanent teeth alignment and the appearance of your child's smile.

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