Catch it today, smile brighter tomorrow

A young boy with a big smile celebrating his 7th birthday, with a birthday cake with lit candles and colorful decorations in the background.

Did you know?

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends your child’s first orthodontic exam by age 7.

Early detection can help to prevent bigger issues later on, avoid more complex, costly treatment down the road, and set the foundation for a healthier smile!

Do any of these look familiar?

  • Close-up of a child's mouth showing several missing, decayed, and misaligned teeth.

    Anterior crossbite

  • A close-up of a child's mouth showing missing front teeth and uneven, developing adult teeth.

    Posterior crossbite

  • Close-up of person's mouth showing adult and baby teeth with some misalignment.

    Crowding

  • Close-up of a child's mouth with missing and crooked teeth.

    Open bite

  • Close-up of a person's upper and lower teeth, showing dental misalignment and some missing teeth.

    Protrusion

  • A black and white close-up image of multiple teeth.

    Ectopic eruption

  • Close-up of a child's mouth showing missing and misaligned front teeth with gaps.

    Underbite

  • Close-up of a child's mouth showing mixed dental malocclusion with misaligned, chipped, and uneven teeth.

    Spacing

  • A young boy with brown hair and blue eyes is touching his lips with his finger, wearing a beige long-sleeve shirt, against a plain background.

    Oral habits

  • Portrait of a young girl with long dark hair and big eyes, wearing a light denim jacket and a beige shirt, against a neutral background.

    Mouth breathing

  • Close-up of a child's mouth showing misaligned and developing permanent teeth.

    Deep bite

  • Others:

    - Early / late loss of baby teeth

    - Difficulty chewing or biting

    - Jaws that shift or make sounds

    - Speech difficulties

    - Biting cheeks / roof of the mouth

    - Grinding / clenching

Images adapted from the American Association of Orthodontists (https://aaoinfo.org/)

Screening at age 7: a quick look and developmental x-ray

A smiling young Asian boy with dark hair wearing a blue shirt.

  • Everything looks great! No treatment needed at this time. We’ll monitor your child’s growth and development, and wait for the ideal time to begin full treatment.

  • We’ve noticed a potential concern. We’ll continue to monitor your child’s dental development and decide if early intervention is necessary.

  • A concern has been identified that would benefit from early treatment. Correcting it now may be easier and could prevent it from becoming a more serious issue in the future.

If my child has early treatment, will they need full treatment later?

  • The goal of Early (Phase I) Treatment is to address one or two major developmental issues

  • This can help guide jaw and facial growth, or prevent teeth from becoming impacted

  • Often, early treatment simplifies treatment later on, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for braces or clear aligners if we are aiming for a picture-perfect smile

  • For patients who receive early treatment, a 25% credit is applied toward a future second phase of treatment as a “thank you” for helping make Phase II more efficient

  • In summary, there are crucial conditions that should be caught and treated at a young age - early intervention can often save time, effort, and money later