Good dental health for children starts by making sure that they visit the Orthodontist at the right age. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, your child should visit the Orthodontist by age 7. Visiting the Orthodontist at this age is the best because most likely some of their baby teeth will exist as well as new teeth that are growing in. This makes it possible for an Orthodontist to get a better idea of how the teeth will come into place and might even give them a better view as to what corrections or treatments might need to be made if any. If you do take your children to the dentist at the right age, they will be get a head start on having healthy teeth at a young age.
Aside from children’s age being a reason to visit the Orthodontist, there are also some behavior signs that you might want to look for. Here are a list of some things to look for in your children:
- Loss of baby teeth too early or too late
- Difficulty with chewing and/or biting
- Thumb sucking
- Difficulty with speaking
- Tends to bite the inside of their cheek or the roof of their mouth
- Misplaced and/or crowded teeth or even teeth that don’t meet
- Teeth grinding
- Breathing through the mouth
The above reasons should help you to notice when the right time to take your children in to visit the orthodontist is, but to be on the safe side definitely plan to take them in once they’ve reached age 7. Don’t forget to call and make that appointment!