Traditionally, children are not referred to the orthodontist until they are 11 or 12 years old when most of the adult teeth have come through. With more and more demand on NHS resources for orthodontic treatment, many practices have a waiting list for children to be assessed and/or to start their teeth straightening treatment, so in some cases their treatment isn’t started until the age of 13-14 years old. This is a time when many teenagers are becoming a lot more self conscious and when having crooked teeth can affect their confidence.
There is a growing trend amongst orthodontists to see patients at a younger age in order to start correcting problems of crowding and jaw mismatch. Seeing patients early also increases the chance of avoiding the removal of healthy adult teeth. So ideally, we would like to be seeing your child for the first time when they are 8-9 years old. Just think of the difference it could make to your child to be starting senior school with their teeth already corrected, or almost there.
We believe that preserving all the adult teeth is important, and starting orthodontic treatment as early as possible helps us achieve that for most of our patients. To find out more about how we can help your child develop a full natural smile, schedule an appointment with one of our specialist orthodontists and we can give you the advice you need to make the right choice for your child and for the preservation of their teeth.
Paula