The Importance of Early Evaluation
Many parents don’t think much about their young kids’ orthodontic health. Though they schedule regular appointments with the dentist from an early age, the vast majority of parents wait until their children are in their early teens before bringing them into the orthodontist’s office for a checkup and to determine whether braces or Invisalign may be necessary.
Here’s the problem: By this time, dental and facial development are much further along, which means any potential issues have already begun to set in. It can be much more difficult at this time to reverse the damage. Occasionally, experts have to recommend surgery to restructure a malformed jaw before the problem gets any worse.
Though common wisdom may dictate that orthodontic health is mostly a concern for older patients, the American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children undergo an orthodontic evaluation at least once by the time they turn 7. This allows an orthodontist to determine whether early intervention may be necessary long before facial development has halted. This early evaluation is especially important for patients with malocclusion, impacted teeth, or non-optimum dentition. In many cases, treatment can probably wait. But if not, catching an issue early can save you hundreds of dollars, a lot of pain, and numerous health issues down the road.
Luckily, patients at Alborzi Orthodontics can undergo an early evaluation completely free of charge. We take a close look at your child’s jaw and facial development to decide whether we can assist their natural growth patterns with orthodontics. This way, we can help create space and allow teeth to erupt in their correct positions. Not only can this save tons of money in orthodontic work later, it can even prevent surgical intervention in serious cases. If you have a young child who hasn’t been to see an orthodontist yet, there’s no time like the present. Give the experts at Alborzi Orthodontics a call at (650) 342-4171 today, and take the first step toward your child’s lifelong orthodontic health without spending a penny!