At what Age should I Bring my Child to see an Orthodontist?

The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children have their first orthodontic consultation preferably by the age of 7. Why at the age of 7 you might ask? Well by age 7, your child would have already started to lose some of their baby teeth, and some of the adult teeth are starting to or will have started coming into the mouth.

The first adult teeth to come in the mouth are usually the lower two central teeth, followed by the first molars and then the upper two central teeth. Even at this age, an orthodontist can start to see signs of abnormal jaw growth or issues with the permanent erupting teeth.

Treatment is usually not started at this age, but the orthodontist can have a better understanding about a patients potential for growth, or lack their off, even at an early age. This can then give you and your child insight and understanding for the need for orthodontic treatment in the future, and what that might involve.

After this initial visit, your child will be monitored for jaw growth and development until they are ready for an appliance, braces or maybe even both. However, for the majority of patients, treatment won’t begin until all the adult teeth have come into the mouth.

Look at the chart below to see when adult teeth start erupting into the mouth and at what age.