At Charlottesville Orthodontics, we’re proud to serve patients of all ages in our warm and welcoming, family-friendly orthodontic office. Through our high-quality orthodontic treatments, we’re fully capable of straightening a patient’s teeth and fixing any orthodontic problems that he or she may have. We understand the importance of fixing these orthodontic problems as early as possible, which is why we recommend that you bring in your child to come in and visit a children’s orthodontist at a young age.
When should a child first visit an orthodontist?
A child is first recommended to visit an orthodontist at the age of seven. The reason why this is a perfect age to see the orthodontist is that this is the approximate age when the adult molars will first erupt and establish the back bite. After the back bite is established, we’ll be able to evaluate a child’s front-to-back and side-to-side tooth relationships. This will allow us to be able to determine if a child will have any orthodontic problems, such as overbites, underbites, and crowding.
We should also note that an early visit to the orthodontist doesn’t necessarily mean early treatment. Some patients won’t need orthodontic treatment and in other cases, we may simply monitor your child’s oral development and wait to begin treatment until sometime in the future.
What are the benefits of early orthodontic treatment?
The goal of early treatment, also known as interceptive treatment, is to catch orthodontic problems in the primary stage and prevent them from becoming worse. This will lessen the time the patient will need to spend in braces later on in life and it can even save money as well. Some of the things that early orthodontic treatment can do for a patient include:
- Making space for crowded teeth.
- Keeping space open for permanent teeth.
- Influencing jaw growth to help improve facial symmetry.
- Lowering the risk of trauma to any protruding front teeth.
- Reducing the need for tooth extractions.
Contact your Charlottesville and Zion Crossroads children’s orthodontist
If you’re looking for a children’s orthodontist in Zion Crossroads or Charlottesville, you’ve come to the right place! Feel free to fill out our online appointment request form if you’d like to schedule an appointment with us. The initial consultation is free! Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about early orthodontic treatment for your child. We can’t wait to hear from you!