Childrens Orthodontics Monroe NJ

Childrens Orthodontics Monroe NJ

While there is no exact age to begin orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends visiting the orthodontist around age seven for children. 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.
• Reduce the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life.
• Correct oral habits such as thumb sucking, and tongue thrust.

For parents, it’s not always easy to know if your child may need orthodontic treatment.

Here Are A Few Things to Look for 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.

Primary teeth

There are 20 primary or baby teeth. Each child’s teeth erupt at a different age. Some come in sooner and some later, so parents should not be alarmed if their child’s teeth erupt at a different age.  Usually, girls’ teeth erupt somewhat earlier than boys’ teeth and lower teeth tend to erupt earlier than the corresponding upper teeth.

Permanent teeth

Including wisdom teeth, the adult mouth contains 32 teeth. Permanent teeth generally erupt following the same sequence as baby teeth. Commonly, if a child’s primary teeth erupted at an early age, their permanent teeth will do likewise. The converse also appears to be true.

Permanent teeth begin their eruption pattern between the ages of 6 and 8. The permanent teeth, if well maintained and taken care of properly, are meant to last a lifetime.