As an orthodontist, my advice to parents is to schedule their child's first orthodontic evaluation by age 7, following the recommendation of the American Association of Orthodontists. At this age, first permanent molars have erupted in most children and the anterior teeth primary teeth are beginning to be replaced by their permanent successors. Screenings at this age can catch issues before they become bigger concerns. With nearly 15 years of experience, I've seen how early intervention can make a difference for children with misaligned jaws, crossbites, missing teeth, crowded teeth, and impacting teeth. I remember one young patient whose front tooth was stuck high in her gums, likely due to a past trauma. With some help from a surgeon, we were able to guide it into place and save the tooth. If the patient had waited, the tooth might never have come down. At that point, extraction of the tooth, a bone graft, and an implant at age 18 would be the only option. Cases like these demonstrate how timely care can avoid less ideal, more complex, and costly procedures later on. Not every child needs orthodontic treatment at a young age, but for those who do, early diagnosis and treatment provide the parent and child with options that may no longer be available once all the teeth have erupted, or worse, when the child has already reached adulthood and has finished growing. In addition, early treatment can often be simpler, faster, more comfortable, and less expensive. Early orthodontic treatment is best considered when it can provide returns that would no longer be possible if treatment were to start at a later date. While I personally try to minimize two lengthy phases of treatment, there are valid situations in which it is desirable. Even if no treatment is needed, early screenings can provide peace of mind for parents and children.
It is always a great way to take your children to regular dentist visits for maintaining a good oral health but there are some very important signs that every parent should be looking for when the child is between 3-6. First and foremost is that to check if the child can breathe through their nose and sleep their mouth closed. Mouth breathing can affect so many aspects of growth, sleep quality-which directly influences brain and bodily development-, teeth decay, facial growth harmony, palate and teeth alignment. Second is that if the child thumb sucking or have an open bite after age of 3, parents should consult for orthodontic evaluation. Also teeth grinding at night, while there may be many reasons, dental or not, and is common in young children, should alert the parents to look for the actual reason behind. But if I had to warn any parents on only one thing this would be it; if you see cross bite in the front teeth or the back ones, seek immediate orthodontic consultation. Every easy to treat in the beginning, however as the child grows the cross bite and underlying problem will get worse and require much longer and harder treatment.