Just as your child's first trip to the family dentist should occur at age two, the first visit to the orthodontist should take place no later than age seven. An early exam assures maximum dental health for your child. It's inexpensive and as easy as saying "ah."

"Check Your Bite Early" is a program that allows you to evaluate your child's teeth alignment and make a preliminary assessment of potential problems, and then seek professional opinion.

Early orthodontic treatment is usually short in duration. Seven and eight year old children adapt very well to all aspects of treatment.

Early treatment can help minimize the need for more extensive treatment at a later date, such as extraction of permanent teeth. By normalizing the smile and teeth, early treatment may also help your child's self-esteem - a fragile asset that's so important in growing up.

NORMAL

SIX warning signs in 7 year-olds. An orthodontist answers the following questions when making a first evaluation. These answers are based on visual observation of the mouth and teeth. When you know what to look for, you can answer these questions, too.

1. Do the upper teeth PROTRUDE? Excessive protrusion of the upper front teeth - "buck teeth' is by far the most common orthodontic problem.

2. Is there a DEEP BITE? The upper front teeth cover the lower front teeth too much.

3. Is there an UNDERBITE? The upper teeth fit inside the arch of the lower teeth.

4. Is there an OPEN BITE? The child can stick his or her tongue between the upper and lower teeth when the back teeth are together.

5. How is SPACING between the teeth? CROWDED or overlapped teeth

... or noticeably large gaps between teeth.

6. Do the midlines line up? The spaces between the two upper front teeth and the two lower front teeth should line up with each other and both should line up with the bridge of the nose. When they do not, the probable cause is drifted teeth or a shifted lower jaw, resulting in an improper bite.

 

When to seek earlier treatment
There are also some behaviors indicative of bite problems that can occur much earlier than age seven. They warrant an orthodontic exam as soon as possible. These include: