One of the questions I hear from parents all the time is, “When should my child first see an orthodontist?”
A lot of people are surprised by my answer: around age seven. That can sound really young, especially when your child still has baby teeth and braces seem like something that belong in middle school.
Seeing an orthodontist at age seven is really about evaluation – not necessarily treatment.
Most kids I see at age seven aren’t ready for comprehensive orthodontic treatment. The goal is simply to evaluate how their teeth, bite, and jaws are developing and decide whether there is anything we need to address now, anything we should keep an eye on, or if the best plan is to wait and let them keep growing.
The reason we like to see kids while they’re still growing is that growth gives us opportunities we simply don’t have once growth is complete. There are certain orthodontic and jaw-development problems that can be addressed in a much more effective way while a child is growing. If we wait too long, that window of opportunity can close, and something that may have been relatively simple to address earlier can become much more difficult to correct later.
Why Age 7?
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have their first orthodontic check-in at age seven.
Around this age, most kids have a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth. Those new permanent teeth give us our first good look at how the adult teeth are coming in, while your child still has plenty of growing left to do.
As an orthodontist, I’m looking at questions like:
- Are the permanent teeth coming in where we expect them to?
- Is there enough room for the teeth that haven’t come in yet?
- Are the upper and lower jaws growing in a balanced way?
- Is the upper jaw unusually narrow?
- Is there a crossbite, underbite, or another bite issue?
- Is the bite causing the lower jaw to shift position?
- Are any teeth blocked out or coming in somewhere they shouldn’t?
- Is there anything happening now that may be harder to correct or cause bigger problems if we wait?
We’ll talk together about what I’m seeing and what we can expect as your child grows. We’ll also discuss the best timing for treatment, if any is needed, so that treatment can be as effective as possible.
Many kids are growing in a well-balanced way and won’t need orthodontic treatment until they have most or all of their adult teeth. Other children have very specific problems that are better addressed early, while we still have the opportunity to guide jaw growth and tooth eruption.
That’s the purpose of the age seven visit: to understand what’s happening early enough that we still have all of our treatment options available and can plan for the future.
Why Does Growth Matter in Orthodontics?
Many orthodontic problems involve more than just the teeth. They can involve the jaws, how the upper and lower jaws fit together, or the amount of space available for permanent teeth to come in. For some of these problems, we have more options while a child is still growing than we do once growth is complete.
A good example is a child with a narrow upper jaw. If we identify it early enough, we may be able to use a palatal expander to widen the upper jaw while the child is still growing.
Another example is an underbite, where the lower front teeth sit in front of the upper front teeth. This is a problem we often want to identify early because there may be an opportunity to address it while the upper jaw is still growing.
These are examples of problems where identifying the issue early can change how we approach treatment.
If we don’t see a child until later, it doesn’t mean the problem can’t be treated. But the treatment options may be different. Something that could have been addressed relatively easily during growth may become more complicated once growth is complete.
That’s why I like to see kids early, even when the answer ends up being, “Everything looks great. Let’s keep growing!”
What If My Child Is Already Older Than 7?
Age seven is a useful guideline for a first evaluation, not an expiration date.
If your child is 8, 9, 10, 11, or already in middle school and has never seen an orthodontist, it’s still a great time to have their teeth, bite, and jaw development evaluated.
Children grow at different rates, and every orthodontic problem is different. The important thing is to look at where your child is developmentally and determine what is happening now and what we may want to plan for in the future.
And if your child is younger than seven but something about their teeth or bite concerns you, you don’t have to wait for their seventh birthday either.
When Should Your Child See an Orthodontist in Wilsonville?
For most families, around age seven is a great time for that first orthodontic evaluation.
At Wilsonville Orthodontics, we see children and families from Wilsonville, Canby, Aurora, Tualatin, West Linn, Sherwood, and surrounding communities. Whether your child is seven and you’re wondering how things are developing, or they’re already in middle school and you’re starting to think about braces, we’re happy to take a look.
Early evaluations help us detect bite problems, jaw growth discrepancies, crowding, and other orthodontic issues before they become more complex. Early detection can lead to simpler, more effective treatment, and healthier, happier smiles for years to come.
Dr. Elisa Herrman
Orthodontist & Owner
Wilsonville Orthodontics