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Health Topics
Your Child and Braces
When Should My Child Have Treatment?
An evaluation from an Orthodontist can benefit many people of
almost any age, but the American Association of Orthodontists recommends
screening all children no later than age 7. At this age, some permanent
teeth have begun to fill in (revealing possible crossbites, crowding
and dental protrusions), but they are not yet too firmly rooted, nor
is the
jaw so hardened that it is difficult to reshape. For young patients,
it is usually faster, less painful and more effective to move teeth,
guide
the growth of the jaw and alter (if necessary) the width of the bone
that supports the teeth. It is also possible to guide the placement of
incoming
teeth. Adults, and sometimes even teenagers, may need major surgery to
correct a problem that an orthodontist could have solved in an adolescent
within a few months with a fixed appliance.
It is important to recognize,
also, that a real problem will never just “go away,” and
many orthodontic problems become worse with time. A few crooked teeth
can be easily realigned at an early age, but if left alone, they might
move
to push the other teeth out of alignment and present other problems for your mouth and teeth.
Last updated May 2004
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