Virginia Beach dentist, Dentist in Virginia Beach, VA

Early Treatment

Almost everyone can benefit from some type of orthodontic treatment. Even young children often could use the help of an orthodontist. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have their initial orthodontic evaluation at about age 7. Even though treatment may not be indicated at that time, it is still a good starting point for the evaluation.

Early evaluation allows the orthodontist to prepare your child's mouth for a more successful treatment once all the permanent teeth have developed. It also allows the doctor to create room for the erupting teeth, monitor growth patterns, and change behavior problems such as thumb sucking. Correcting any of these problems may reduce your treatment time with braces.