By Issac C. Yue, DMD, MS
Pinoy Contributor
Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics
Everyday, parents ask me a simple question. When is the best age for my child to begin orthodontic treatment? And of course, the answer no one likes to hear is “it depends”. It depends on a variety of factors including: the type of tooth and jaw problem, the benefits of starting early, the financial and psychological costs, and maturity of the child.
Over 3 million children and teenagers seek orthodontic treatment every year in the United States. Most of these patients start treatment in their early teens when all their adult teeth have come into the mouth. For a small percentage of patients, children as young as 7 years old begin early treatment to address specific problems that are easily treated at younger ages, but become very difficult to handle in later years. That is why The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children be evaluated by the age of 7 from an orthodontist.
There are a number of reasons for early intervention and most do not involve full braces.
Interceptive treatment can:
1) Guide erupting permanent teeth into the proper position
2) Widen an undersize jaw during growth
3) Modify jaw growth and development.
4) Remove obstacles that prevent eruption of adult teeth
5) Reduce risk of trauma to the front teeth
6) Eliminate factors that damage teeth and gums
7) Prepare for bone grafts in craniofacial patients
8) Improve facial profile and appearance
As you can see, early treatment involves creating the proper environment for normal jaw development and tooth eruption. Straightening of the teeth and other cosmetic issues are addressed when all the adult teeth have erupted into the mouth. For more information, please look at the American Association of Orthodontist website at www.braces.org or contact our office.