The orthodontics team at Newtown Dentistry provides evaluation and treatments for patients of all ages. Orthodontic treatment is important for straightening smiles, aligning teeth, and correcting bites, for both children and adults.

Learn why orthodontic treatment is necessary for many youngsters. Even if your child doesn’t need treatment yet, an early evaluation allows an orthodontist to track any potential issues and guide correct alignment of the jaw and teeth.

What Is Orthodontics?

Orthodontics, also known as orthodontia, is a specialty area of study and practice for dentists. It is the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of misaligned teeth and jaws. Orthodontists become dentists first and then receive additional training at an orthodontic specialty program.

Orthodontists are most often associated with getting braces, which is a big part of what they do. They use a variety of fixed and removable appliances to change the position of the jaw or teeth, retrain muscles, and generally correct misalignments.

When Should My Child Have Their First Orthodontist Visit?

Both children and adults can benefit from orthodontic care for correcting dental irregularities. Children’s mouths are still growing, which makes early orthodontic intervention so important. Checkups and treatments can keep their teeth and jaws growing correctly and fix any issues before they become severe. Treating irregularities once the jaw has stopped growing in adulthood presents more challenges.

For this reason, don’t neglect taking your child to an orthodontist, even if you don’t think they have any alignment issues. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have their first orthodontics evaluation by the age of 7 if you have not discovered any orthodontic issues.

Seven is the recommended age for a first orthodontic evaluation because at this age they should have a mix of permanent and baby teeth. This is a good time for an orthodontist to identify any current or potential future issues.

If you have any concerns about how your child’s jaw and teeth are growing, you don’t have to wait until they are 7. Take your child to see an orthodontist at any age if you or your dentist has identified an issue with alignment or bite. Some signs you might see that indicate an early orthodontic issue include:

• Losing baby teeth early or late
• Difficulty biting and chewing
• Clicking sounds in the jaw
• Side-to-side shifting movements of the jaw
• Biting the cheek frequently
• An unbalanced appearance in the face
• Breathing through the mouth

What Are the Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment?

Timing is everything in orthodontic treatment. While adults can be successfully treated, the best time to correct jaw and teeth misalignments is before the patient has stopped growing.

An early orthodontics appointment might find no issues or issues that should be monitored but not yet treated. Some children are good candidates for early treatments. These are some of the benefits of starting your child’s orthodontic treatments earlier rather than later:

• An early evaluation can identify subtle signs of an issue and address it early, before it becomes a more severe problem.
• If an orthodontist detects early issues, they can gently guide the growth of the jaw and the direction of permanent teeth.
• Early braces and other treatments are almost always easier and simpler than adult treatments.
• Correcting alignment issues relieves symptoms and can improve chewing, eating, breathing, and speaking.

What Early Orthodontic Treatments Are Available?

Our team can treat a variety of orthodontic issues in a child, even if they still have some baby teeth:

• Underbites, when the upper front teeth sit too far behind the lower teeth
• Overbites, when the upper front teeth are ahead of the lower teeth
• Crossbites, when the upper and lower jaws are shifted side-to-side
• Significant spaces between teeth
• Teeth that are too crowded
• Missing or extra teeth
• Thumb or pacifier sucking that is affecting how the mouth grows and develops

Treatments for these issues include the use of removable or fixed appliances: braces, maintainers, aligners, palatal expanders, and headgear.

What Can We Expect at My Child’s First Orthodontist Visit?

Your child’s first orthodontist appointment at Newtown Dentistry should be relaxed and fear-free. Our welcoming environment and friendly team members will make both of you feel safe and comfortable. Your child will undergo a physical examination and X-rays to look at their teeth and jaw.

Our orthodontist might not find any issues. They might find areas of concern that need regular monitoring. They will recommend a next date for an appointment to check progress.

If they find any issue that requires treatment, they will explain what it is and what it means. Your orthodontist will answer any questions you have and explain treatment options. They will create an individualized treatment plan for your child and describe how it will proceed and what you can expect.

Visiting an orthodontist is a fun experience at Newtown Dentistry. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for your child’s first orthodontic evaluation.