Orthodontic treatment can be started at any age. However, many orthodontic problems are easier to correct if detected at an early age before jaw growth has slowed. Early treatment may mean that a patient can avoid surgery and more serious complications.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children have a check-up with an orthodontist by the 7th year of age, for early detection of any potential problems. The child’s teeth may appear straight to the eyes of the parents, but there could still be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.
Early orthodontic evaluation gives the opportunity to the orthodontist to design a treatment plan to correct the teeth misalignment in a time and cost efficient manner. The usual goal for an orthodontist to start a child’s treatment at an early age is to guide the growth of jaw bones and create the optimum environment for the eruption of permanent teeth. This may prevent the development of more serious problems in the future and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
