“What is the right age to get braces for my child?”
My son is 7 years old and his permanent teeth have just started emerging. He is having spaces in his front two teeth already. When would be the right age to see if he needs braces?
15 Answers
A gap between the teeth, although concerning, is a normal thing. The child will continue to grow and while this happens the jaws expand and grow as well. The adult teeth are larger than child teeth and the spacing preserves dove for eription if future teeth. If there is ever concern, I always recommend visiting the orthodontist for evaluation at any age above 5.
Spacing is good for baby teeth because permanent teeth are larger and require more space. Best to visit your Dentist for evaluation if Orthodontics is needed.
I tell my patients that there is not a typical "age" for orthodontic treatment but a need. This can start as early as six or seven or it may be appropriate to wait until all adult teeth have erupted around twelve or thirteen. Early treatment is usually reserved to treat or intercept certain conditions, like preservation of space due to a premature baby tooth loss, cross bite, arch development (widening of the palate) , or many other conditions. Check with your dentist and always ask questions and sometimes in early cases it is good to also get a second opinion.
Sometimes it is prudent to intervene prior to eruption of all permanent teeth to save time and money later. Recommend that you see an orthodontist now for evaluation.
There is no specific age or gender related to win to start orthodontic treatment but it's a safe bet that when the six year molars erupt they should be looked at within a couple of years to evaluate adolescent orthodontic potential problems that lead to more complicated modalities of treatment during adolescence the orthodontist will recommend putting the patient on recall based on their observation at that young age and will charge very little to supervise their growth and development so that proper timing is initiated towards a result that is ideal and custom Suited to the interruption patterns, skeletal patterns and habits that the patient may present
7 years old is the recommended age to have your child seen by an orthodontist to get advice. Most patients don't need treatment this early, but it's a good idea just to see if there are developing issues.
Depending on the findings by an orthodontist.
It depends on the kid's dental age. Every person is different and you have to get the orthodontist to check.
A consultation with an orthodontist (braces specialist) will allow you to get an idea of when your son should start orthodontic treatment. It is never too early to get a consultation and a thorough evaluation will be performed by the orthodontist who will be able to answer any questions you have about treatment and timing.
Morvarid Monfaredzadeh
Dentist
Having spaces when the permanent teeth are just emerging is not a bad thing unless the gap is too wide. Usually, with emerging of eye teeth most of that gap will get closed, so it’s better to wait till he gets all his permanent teeth and then, if the spaces are not closed, decide about the braces.
That is a hard question to answer without seeing your child. I would not be too concerned about the spaces in front. In general, if baby teeth have spaces between them it is better for the adult teeth. Children who have no spaces between their baby teeth or more likely to need braces then children who do have the spaces. Most children start orthodontics around 12 or 13 however some cases start as early as 7 or 8. You should be taking your child to see a dentist every six months and he will recommend when is the best time for an evaluation.
The right time to get braces is usually when all of the baby teeth have been lost. One of the exceptions to this general rule is if the teeth are in cross-bite, meaning the top teeth are to the inside of the bottom teeth when the child closes his teeth together. There are a couple of other exceptions, but space between two teeth that are just coming in is not a reason. Remember, adult teeth are about 1 1/2 times the size of the baby teeth and they need space to come in. Your child's teeth will probably start coming together as more adult teeth come in. Give it time and don't expect perfection right from the beginning. If you have concerns, get a consultation from an orthodontist.
It is a very difficult question to answer without examining a patient. If there are no obvious problems, for example, skeletal or developmental, it is perfectly OK to wait until age 11 or 12. Do not worry about spacing at this age as this is seen frequently in children. When baby teeth are replaced with permanent, bigger teeth, spacing disappears and sometimes even crowding may develop.
The best time for a patient to come in for a first orthodontic visit is at age 7. This is the age that is recommended by the American Academy of Orthodontists. Even though there may be only a few adult teeth, many children will present with little problems early on. The goal of seeing an orthodontist is to ensure these little problems don’t grow up to be big problems. Your orthodontist will be able to tell you if something needs to be done now or if the situation should just be monitored (which is often the case). Additionally, your orthodontist may make recommendations to your general dentist to avoid these problems from getting worse. Often times a child will come in for a first visit and then return to see their orthodontist every 6 months to monitor the development of their teeth and jaws. At our office all of these 6 months visits are complimentary. Our goal is to encourage parents to bring in their children at the right moment to avoid these problems from worsening. Far too often, we see children who’s problems have become far more complicated than they should have. We would be happy to elaborate more on the importance of an early orthodontic exam and explain its importance. Please feel free to contact us at 514-426-9400 for more details. Thanks and have a great night!
Kerry Howard
Kerry Howard
At 7 years of age and only a few adult teeth in, it is difficult to predict whether he will need braces. As the adult teeth come in and he grows everything may be fine. I would recommend a visit to the orthodontist at age 8 or 9 for a consultation. Based on the number of adult teeth in they can recommend an approximate time to return for an orthodontic work up if necessary.
