By Dr. Vishal Sharma Certified Specialist in Orthodontics
It is well noted that prevention is the best medicine. This theory holds true for orthodontics, especially regarding children and braces. Early orthodontic consultations and treatments should be viewed as proactive windows of opportunities that help to ease the discomfort associated with braces. Typically, parents ask, “Do you think my child will need braces and at what age should we go to the orthodontist?” It is my viewpoint that timing is everything and this article will review the importance of early orthodontic consultation.
To answer that above question – overall, it is difficult to know for sure if your child will need orthodontic treatment until his or her permanent teeth begin to show. However, trained orthodontists can understand important forecasting clues, evaluate jaw alignment and tooth spacing. When a child is still young – teeth are still developing and the jaws are growing – these factors are huge advantages for us orthodontists. We can guide growth and use it in our favour to correct many of the problems we treat on a daily basis.
Did you know that both, the Canadian Association and American Association of Orthodontists suggest the first visit to an orthodontist should be completed by no later than age seven? To most individuals, this is surprising news. In fact, this guidance might even come as surprising news to your family dentist. You may be wondering what is so significant about the age of seven. Well, the reason is simple – there are certain scenarios that need to be corrected early on in order to prevent major problems in the future, like surgery or extractions. Orthodontic decisions made when your child is seven years old are really planning steps for what teeth will look like when they are 30, 40, or 50 years old.
Early treatment is about preventing problems and working with the jaws and permanent teeth, and guiding them into position as they develop. Once the mouth is done developing, orthodontic treatment essentially works against existing conditions to fix problems and bring the teeth, jaws and mouth into alignment. In my experience with patient consultations, it is important that parents be cognizant that once growth is done, it is much more difficult to treat problems like overbite, open bite, and crowding. These problems can be prevented if treatment is started at an earlier age. To further cement this concept here are seven quick reasons why early orthodontic consultation and treatment is imperative.
- Avoid surgery and extractions
- Easier treatment
- Shorter treatment
- Possibly cheaper treatment
- Complimentary consultations
- Complimentary regular monitoring
- No referral necessary
The most important bit of wisdom I can provide is that orthodontic treatment decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis. Spotting a subtle problem with jaw growth or emerging teeth early at least gives the option of early treatment. Intervening early may prevent more serious problems from developing and make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated. In some cases, the orthodontist will be able to get results that may not be possible once the face and jaws are fully developed.
If you are worried about costs associated with a consultation – well rest assure, consultations are mostly complimentary. At my office, if a child needs immediate treatment to fix a problem – we work with parents to determine a plan. If treatment can be delayed, we make it a priority to regularly monitor the child’s dental development, growth, and advise when the ideal time for treatment should start. In the long run, this makes the eventual treatment simpler, shorter, and yes – cheaper.
I often repeat to parents, “If you had seen me three to four years ago, we wouldn’t need to be talking about extractions or surgery.” This is discouraging since a complimentary consultation is possible and just needs to be proactive. Most parents are not aware that a referral from your dentist is not necessary – parents can directly contact an Orthodontist to schedule an appointment.
During the consultation, it’s important to ask your orthodontist, “What would you do if this were your child?” This question usually prompts the most forthcoming answers. Overall, Orthodontists want your child to benefit from their orthodontic treatment just as much as you do. To ensure the best results from orthodontic treatment before treatment even begins, make sure you child comes in for a consultation before the age of seven.
