The correct time for a child to consult an orthodontist is between 6-7 years of age. Orthodontist can solve the problem while your child is still growing. The most common teeth related problems like crowding, overbite, open bite can be corrected by early orthodontic invention. Braces is the commonly practiced procedure for all the issues arising while growing. Various interventions in the treatment are made according to the patient, each patient has different dentition. The advantage of early orthodontics is that the bone modulations of the jaw is made easy as the child is still in growing phase. Also, the chances of relapse are minimal in later stage of life.
Early orthodontic treatment can be required when various habits like thumb sucking, tongue or lip thrusting, open mouth breathing or clenching. Habit breaking appliances provided by an orthodontist can improve your jaw structure while growing. It is always better to consult your orthodontist early with such habits as to prevent future complications related to erupting permanent teeth and jaw changes with age.
Crowding or misalignment of teeth can be seen at the age of six or seven years, where the milk teeth sheds off and permanent teeth are erupting, each permanent tooth erupting has its own time and age of eruption, but some cases of delayed shedding and delayed eruption can be seen. This calls again for a orthodontic visit who can help the child manage space for eruption- this treatment plan is known as space maintenance. This treatment if opted, can prevent to get braces after the permanent dentition is achieved in alignment.