Dr. Sheila from Inner Smiles Orthodontics here! One of the most common questions I hear from parents is: When should my child see an orthodontist?
When I look at my own 5-year-old, I get it. I see similarities to my own childhood smile and think, "Should I be doing something about this now?" Of course, I have an unfair advantage — I know the answer for him. If something about your child's teeth, jaws, or bite concerns you, you don't need to wait until age 7. I'm happy to take a look at any age, even if the answer ends up being, "Everything looks fine. Let's wait."
But even if everything seems fine, I recommend a first orthodontic check-up no later than age 7. Why 7? By then, the first adult molars and front teeth are usually coming in, giving us a useful look at how the bite is developing. The jaws and face are still growing, and X-rays let us see where the adult teeth are heading underneath the gums.
And no—an orthodontic visit at 7 does not mean braces at 7. I'm looking for foundational stuff: a narrow upper jaw, an underbite, crowding that's blocking teeth from coming in, a tooth heading the wrong direction. Things that tend to be a lot easier to deal with while a child is still growing.
But plenty of crooked 7-year-old smiles need absolutely nothing yet. Earlier isn't automatically better. Sometimes I recommend treatment. Sometimes we just watch and see. Most of the time, I get to say my favorite thing: "Everything looks good. Let's wait."
I'm not trying to treat kids as early as possible. I'm trying to catch the stuff that actually needs catching, and leave the rest alone.
[Want to learn more? Read what we're actually looking for at that first orthodontic visit →]
