Cover

Cover

Saturday, December 16, 2017

When Should a Child Start Orthodontics?

Ross Orthodontics provides treatment to patients of all ages, but parents may well wonder what age treatment should start at. To answer that question, it’s necessary to understand at what age different orthodontic treatments are most effective.


Orthodontists recommend that children first be assessed after some of their permanent teeth have come in when they’re about seven years old. This will give us a chance to catch severe problems that are already affecting the child’s oral health and quality of life, such as an underbite or narrow arch, but it’s unusual otherwise for treatment to begin at that age. If the child loses a baby tooth prematurely due to trauma, it may be necessary for them to wear a space maintainer until the permanent tooth can erupt. Major orthodontic work, including extractions and braces, is usually done between the ages of ten and fourteen, after most permanent teeth have erupted. Adults can certainly benefit from orthodontic work, especially for cosmetic problems such as gaps and slight crookedness. But young teenagers still have some flexibility in their skull bones which allows them to undergo treatment for serious structural problems such as impacted canines, while still being mature enough to maintain their hygiene.


To learn more about Ross Orthodontics, visit SmilesbyRoss.com. Offices are located in Forest Lake, Minnesota and Hudson, Wisconsin.


 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Water Flossing With Orthodontics

A little floss goes a long way when it comes to oral health. Flossing is an important step to remove food particles that have been left behi...