Although every person is different, age 7 is usually about the right age to bring your child to see the orthodontist. By age 7, your child has enough permanent teeth that an orthodontist can spot a problem before it becomes … well, a bigger problem.
Some issues may be obvious – misaligned teeth, an “overbite,” and an underbite or a crossbite – but others can remain undetectable by the untrained eye. Either way, let Dr. Tina Siu take a look. In addition to an intraoral exam, we use panoramic x-rays to check below the surface to look for extra teeth, missing teeth, impacted teeth or teeth coming into the wrong positions.
Early orthodontic treatment, which occurs while some baby teeth are still present, can guide the growth of facial and jaw bones into a better growth pattern and provide more space for incoming permanent teeth.
Problems that may lend themselves well to early treatment include:
- Underbites – when the lower front teeth are ahead of the upper front teeth
- Crossbites – when the upper teeth are inside of the lowers
- Functional shift – when the jaw shifts to one side as the teeth come together
- Very crowded teeth
- Excessively spaced teeth
- Extra or missing teeth
- Teeth that meet abnormally or don’t meet at all
- Thumb-, finger- or pacifier- sucking that is affecting the teeth or jaw growth
Call Dr. Tina Siu’s office today to help your child begin his or her journey to a beautiful smile. 626-796-0615 or use our website to contact us https://www.tmsmiles.com/appointment-request/