Orthodontic follow-up of the child

At what age do you need a pediatric orthodontist?

Let's not miss the moment of bite formation

Treatment time from 3 months

from 25 000 Rub

Parents' opinions on the need for orthodontic treatment in childhood are usually divided: someone believes that it makes sense only when all permanent teeth are eruption, and some parents bring the child to the orthodontist as early as possible. In this article, the leader of the childhood direction, Anna Stanislavovna Reznichenko, examines in detail: at what age you need to visit an orthodontist for the first time in order not to miss the moment of bite formation.

There is no one universal recommendation for optimal age for two reasons:

Every body is different, and standard recommendations may not match the actual development of your child's dentoalveolar system.
The age up to 14-15 years — is a period of active growth and development of the whole body, so one visit to the doctor at any particular age will not be a guarantee that the permanent bite will be correct.

But we can identify 3 control points for the development of the dental system:

eruption of the first permanent teeth,
eruption of 12 permanent teeth,
peak jaw growth.

At each stage, a parent can notice the preconditions for the development of a child's malocclusion and prevent it with orthodontics.

5-6 years old

The standard age at which we recommend the first visit to an orthodontist is 5-6 years old. At this age, the eruption of the first permanent teeth begins, the jaws actively grow, the correct work of the muscles and tongue is formed.

How to understand that an orthodontist's consultation is required:

The child breathes through his mouth. During oral breathing, the development of the lower jaw is disrupted, and a distal bite is formed.
There are bad habits: sucking a finger; putting your hand under your chin.
Early removal of baby teeth. If, for therapeutic reasons, the tooth was removed earlier than the natural change, an adjacent one will try to take its place.
Cross bite.

What tasks does orthodontics solve?:

Expansion of the jaw and creation of a place for teething.
Stimulation of jaw growth.
Retention of space during early removal.
Control of the muscles and tongue

To solve these problems, the doctor uses removable appliances: Marco Rosa, Twin Block, face mask, trainer.

Often, at this age, orthodontic treatment is not necessary. But you should monitor your child and follow the orthodontist's recommendations.

What can an orthodontist recommend?

Examination by an ENT doctor while breathing through the mouth.
Classes with a speech therapist to control articulation and normalize the position of the tongue.
Myogymnastics for muscle strengthening.
Active chewing of solid food.
Elimination of bad habits.
Control of a good home dental cleaning with a child.
Treating cavities and performing professional hygiene with a pediatric dentist.

If orthodontic treatment is not required, the next visit to an orthodontist can be scheduled in 1-1.5 years at the time of a more significant bite change.

8-9 years old

At the age of 8-9 years, a child usually has 12 permanent teeth already erupted: 4 incisors and the 6th teeth from below and above. A parent can spot the indications for treatment of a malocclusion on their own.

How to know that counseling is needed:

Crossbite, reverse overlap of the upper teeth with the lower ones.
Tooth abrasion and hypercontact.
Teeth erupt «second row» due to lack of space.
Traumatic occlusion — the lower teeth are bowed against the palate.
Uneven position of the teeth.
Previously, the removal of baby teeth.

Says

Reznichenko Anna Stanislavovna

Sometimes parents are concerned about gaps between teeth in children, but this is normal and does not require orthodontic intervention.

At this age, it is possible to influence the correct eruption of the remaining permanent teeth, jaw growth and the position of the permanent teeth that have already erupted. For treatment, orthodontists use: partial braces, pediatric eliners, Marco Rosa appliance, Twin Block, face mask, MARPE extender. On average, treatment lasts up to a year.

Orthodontist's recommendations

Home hygiene control.
Dental observation and treatment at a pediatric dentist
Professional oral hygiene.

11-12 years

At the age of 11-12, all permanent teeth usually erupt. This is the most important age in terms of orthodontics, as jaw growth peaks.

Says

Reznichenko Anna Stanislavovna

It is at this age that we can influence the skeletal parameters of the face in children: the size and position of the jaws. And if a child has never been to an orthodontist before, then at the age of 11-12 years, an appointment is mandatory.

What are the dangers of missing this age? From the average age of 11 to 15, the dentoalveolar system is actively growing and developing. It is at this age that orthodontic treatment will be the most effective, fastest, and will create the correct alignment, position of the teeth, and a beautiful profile using only braces and simple appliances. After the completion of the growth peak at 14-15 years of age, more complex treatments will already be needed to correct serious bite abnormalities: surgery, treatment with miniscrews or tooth extraction.

Treatment at this age is done with braces or eliners. As additional tools are used: correctors of the second class, MARPE apparatus for expansion of the upper jaw, miniscrews. If at 8-9 years old there was a prophylactic stage, at this age the treatment is faster and does not require complex appliances.

At what point can orthodontic follow-up be completed?

At about 14-15 years of age, jaw growth in children slows down and further changes will no longer be as significant. If by this age the bite is formed correctly: all teeth are aligned with their antagonists, the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth by 1/3, there is no erosion or discomfort in the joint, then visits to the orthodontist can be completed.

If your child has had orthodontic treatment, they should be sure to wear retainers and night mouth guards afterward to maintain the results. We recommend a follow-up visit every six months.