Great smiles for young children

Give your child the best chance of a beautiful smile

Being parents ourselves, we know that you want the best for your child. This may include having an orthodontic examination at an early age.

The benefits of early orthodontic treatment

Some orthodontic problems are best treated when a child’s jaws and teeth are still developing. We regard eight years of age as the ideal time to first see a patient, because at this age we can best judge the future growth of the face and jaws. Examples of beneficial treatment at an early age are:

• Creating sufficient space in the jaws for the adult teeth to grow into;
• Correcting severe crowding that may be more difficult to correct later;
• Helping the jaws and teeth to align and close properly;
• Correcting protruding teeth that are at risk of injury or cause the child distress.

If there are orthodontic concerns when we first see a child but treatment is not yet appropriate at that stage, then we review the patient at six monthly intervals until he or she has developed to be ready for treatment. We make no charge for these follow up reviews.

Does your child need early orthodontic treatment?

Signs in your child’s teeth and jaws that suggest the need for an examination include:

• Early loss of baby teeth or tooth structure;
• Misalignment of jaws and teeth, as in an overbite, under bite or cross bite;
• Your child’s jaw shifting off-centre when biting down;
• Crooked, protruding or crowded teeth, or large gaps between the teeth.
• Adult tooth or teeth not appearing at about the same time as their opposite;
• Persistent thumb sucking or other habits that are causing problems.

If you notice any of these problems or have other concerns, please visit us for an early age consultation.

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