For Children

While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends visiting the orthodontist around age seven. By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, making it easier for the orthodontist to diagnose and correct tooth and jaw problems sooner and without surgery.

Early treatment allows your orthodontist to:

Correct and guide the growth of your child's jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
Create more space for crowded teeth
Sometimes prevent the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
Correct thumb-sucking and help improve minor speech problems

Signs that may mean your child needs to see an orthodontist:

Early or late loss of baby teeth
A hard time chewing or biting food
Mouth breathing
Finger or thumb sucking
Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight

Please call our office at 703-425-5125 to schedule an appointment for a complimentary orthodontic evaluation