When is the right time to see an orthodontist?

Hey guys, your friendly neighborhood orthodontists here.

One of the questions I get the most om ther street is 'when should my child see an orthodontist for the first time?' Well, not literally on the street, but not so much in the office, either.

The answer is... it depends.

It depends on the kid. Every child develops at a different speed, so there is no magic age, but there are a few things to look for that can help you be on the right side of time.

A great rule of thumb is that while it may be too early to start braces, it’s never too early for a consultation. Especially when most consultations for braces are free ( at least in my offices), any good orthodontist will let you know if it’s too early for braces and put you on a free recall program.

When I see patients not ready for braces we put them on a recall of anywhere from 3 to 12 months. Some kids will be on recall observation for years until treatment is needed.

A rule of thumb is to wait for all the baby teeth to fall out. Trash that one. We see patients all the time who have problems that could have been prevented are lessened with earlier treatment. Sometimes, that early treatment is just the suggestion of extracting a particular baby tooth. Sometimes is phase one orthodontic treatment, which may involve limited braces at an early stage, to prevent much bigger problems down the road.

With all that being said, I believe your first consultation should be at any point where you feel there is a potential problem with the eruption sequence, spacing, or bite of your child. And most kids tend to be ready for full braces between the ages of 10 and 12. But as I said before, each kid is different, so use this as a guideline to help you make these complex decisions a little simpler.