Early Treatment

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children should first visit an orthodontist at age 7. If an orthodontic problem is detected at this time, preventive orthodontic treatment may be helpful. Warning signs of orthodontic problems can be detected from a child’s bite and include:

• The upper teeth protrude
• The upper teeth cover too much of the lower teeth
• The upper teeth fit behind the lower teeth
• The front teeth do not meet when the back teeth are together
• The teeth are crowded or overlapped
• There are noticeably large gaps between teeth
• The line between the two upper front teeth and the two lower front teeth does not line up properly

There are several benefits of detecting orthodontic problems and beginning treatment at an early age. If detected early, many orthodontic problems can be corrected without the need for more costly and invasive treatments. Also, as the child experiences rapid skeletal growth, Dr. Clinebell can use this natural growth to assist in providing a beautiful smile to last a lifetime.