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Early orthodontic treatment

Name: Bayside Orthodontics
Telephone: 03 9696 6999

Giving your children the best start to life includes making sure their teeth are healthy and growing well. Teaching your children about the importance of oral hygiene early in life and establishing routines around this will help them develop healthy, clean teeth. Early intervention for children from the age of 8 - 12 can improve a number of aspects of your child’s dental development.

How do I know if my child needs an orthodontic consultation?

Early warning signs to look for include:

Early or late loss of baby teeth
Finger sucking or other habits
Crowded or misaligned teeth
Poor bite relationship
Speech difficulty
Protruding teeth
Facial imbalance or asymmetry

Early treatment for children

Why does my child need an orthodontic consultation?

When you take your child to an orthodontist around the age of 8, any future problems your child may have with their teeth can be identified. While your child’s facial structure is still developing, it’s often an ideal time to start orthodontic treatment because the jaw is still growing. Identifying any abnormalities or issues early allows you and the orthodontist to prepare and plan for any future treatment your child may need. When detected early, any of the problems above can be put right with a small amount of effort.

If you’ve noticed any of the above signs, simply call Bayside Orthodontists. A referral is not required.

Early treatment for children

What are the benefits of early orthodontic treatment?

Problems can be identified early before they get too big, reducing the potential for any major treatment
Your child will learn from a young age to feel comfortable and safe in an orthodontic environment
You’ll be able to plan financially for any orthodontic treatment
Your child will understand the importance of their oral hygiene routine
Reduces the potential for any major treatment

Early treatment for children

Did you know that a straight smile rarely happens by accident?

At Bayside Orthodontists, we understand that many parents wish to help their child establish a healthy and attractively straight smile. While we strongly recommend that all parents bring their children in for orthodontic assessment as soon as possible, we have created a checklist that can help you discover if your child will especially benefit from an early intervention assessment:

Is your child 7 -8 years old?
Does your child suck their thumb?
Has your child started losing their baby teeth earlier than expected?
Has your child experienced late loss of baby teeth?
Does your child have a weak (unpronounced) chin?
Does your child have a protruding chin?
Does your child appear to have an overbite?
Does your child appear to have an under bite?
Does your child appear to have a cross bite?
Are your child’s lips placed together when they are at rest?
Does your child’s tongue naturally rest within the mouth?
Does your child breathe through their mouth instead of their nose?

Early treatment for children

Why is early orthodontic treatment recommended from 8 year old children?

By 7 years of age, your child’s first adult molars will break through to establish their back bite. This is an ideal time for an orthodontist to evaluate the side-to-side and front-to-back tooth relationships. For instance, if your child has erupting incisors it can indicate possible open bite, overbite, crowding or gummy smiles. When these problems are identified early, it can reduce the need for major orthodontic treatment later in life.

Early treatment for children

Early orthodontic treatment results include:

Reducing the need for removing teeth
Creating room for erupting, crowded teeth
Preserving space for unerupted teeth
Influencing jaw growth to create facial harmony and symmetry
Reducing the risk of trauma to protruding front teeth
Braces treatment time being reduced

Early treatment for children

Give your child the confidence to smile

When you book your child in for an early orthodontic treatment with our Specialist Orthodontist Dr. Brittany Shearn, we’re committed to making their experience as stress-free and enjoyable as possible.

Book your child’s early orthodontic appointment – no referral is required

Early treatment for children