Early orthodontic exams may intercept problems.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children first visit an orthodontist at age 7.
This may surprise you because most people associate orthodontic treatment of braces with children at age 12 and older. You do not have to wait until all permanent teeth are erupted. An early examination by an orthodontist couple stop a developing problem from getting worse by the time a patient reaches 12.
Problems that should be corrected early include crossbites (where the upper teeth fit inside the lower teeth), mouth breathing, jaws that pop or click, severely protrusive front teeth, thumb and fingers sucking, and overlapping or crowding of erupting teeth.
Many times crossbites develop due to mouth breathing. The tongue does not rest in the roof of the mouth supporting the inside of the upper teeth collapse in, many times fitting inside the lower teeth. This will cause the jaw to deviate to one side or the other, putting the stress on the TMJ or the temporomandibular joint. This stress can cause popping and clicking and a breakdown of the joint ligaments later in life.
This can be prevented by early expansion by the orthodontist with a simple appliance not involving full braces. The expansion will not hold if the mouth breathing continues, so I recommend the patient see and ear, nose, and throat specialist to check for airway problems such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids, enlarged turbinates in the sinus, deviated septum, and allergies.
Protrusive upper teeth should be corrected early as well. This is especially important when a patient cannot close his lips over his teeth comfortably. With poor lip posture, the lower lip pushes the upper teeth out more and more as the patient grows older. The upper lip lies functionless with lower lip. Because this, it becomes shorter and has very little muscle tone. Is this patient waits until 12 to wave his teeth corrected, it may mean many years in braces, and even the smile will look gummy due to the short upper lip that never developed while the patient was growing from 7 to 12.
Thumb and finger sucking should be stopped by the time the permanent front teeth are erupting at age 6 ½ to 7 1/2. We use a system of rewards to motivate a patient to cut down and eventually stop his thumb sucking. This usually works without resorting to an expensive appliance.
Much can be done to help crowded and overlapping front teeth. As soon as you see the erupting permanent teeth overlap, get an orthodontic check-up. A complimentary exam could save hundreds of dollars on braces later on. Often, we will simply have some baby teeth removed early to redistribute crowding from the front teeth of the mouth where the permanent teeth are smaller than the large baby molars. I have seen severe anterior rotations completely unravel, thereby minimizing brace work later on. If left alone, rotation can always be corrected at age 12, but it takes much longer and results are not as stable. If a tooth erupts in straight, it will tend to stay that way. If it is rotated and straightened with braces, it will have a tendency to turn back unless retainers are worn very conscientiously after treatment.
Orthodontists can straighten teeth and improve smiles at any age, but there is usually best age for treatment to begin. An early exam by your orthodontist can help intercept a problem early and ensure the best and most stable result for your child.
Early treatment achieves results that are unattainable once the face and jaws have finished growing. The benefits will last a life time in good function, straight teeth are easy to clean, and self-confidence to smile when one goes for that college or first job.