Find your location
Virtual consult 
Request appointment
Many parents often wonder, “What’s the Earliest Age Someone Can Get Braces?” According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), all children should be seen by an orthodontist by their seventh birthday. With that in mind, the earliest age for braces would be at 6 or 7 years old. But not every child needs braces that early.
What is Phase 1 Early Treatment?
When your child sees an orthodontist, the doctor may recommend Phase 1 Treatment, also known as Early Treatment. Let’s begin by exploring the reasoning behind the first orthodontic visit.
By the age of seven, most of your child’s primary (baby) teeth have fallen out. Many of their adult teeth are either in place or ready to erupt. Using X-rays, an orthodontist can predict future growth and determine if your child’s jaw will be large enough to support adult teeth.
The years between 6 and 10 are major growth years for children, meaning they start to transition from their toddler/child stage into a young adult. During this growth period, bones and facial structure begin to change to take on the features and sizing that will carry through to adulthood.
If the orthodontist notices a potential problem, such as a small jaw or palate, they can take corrective measures at an early age. This allows the doctor to incorporate the natural growth patterns to guide growth. Using orthodontic appliances such as braces and palatal expanders, an orthodontist can ensure that your child’s tooth and jaw development promotes healthy growth.
View this post on Instagram
This early intervention can pre-empt future problems, ease existing speech difficulties, and work to stop poor habits such as thumb-sucking. Phase 1 Treatment offers non-surgical solutions to problems that, left untreated, may mean surgery in the future.
Who Needs Early Treatment?
Not every child requires early intervention. In most cases after an initial orthodontist appointment, your child will enter a monitoring program. This type of program allows the orthodontist to perform periodic checkups to monitor your child’s growth. The earlier a potential problem is noticed, the easier it is to correct.
Some of the conditions early treatment would help:
- Crossbites (jaw shifting to one side)
- Crowding
- Misaligned facial symmetry
- Protruding teeth
- Early loss of primary teeth (spacing issues)
- Jaw size too small for adult teeth
- Underbites
- Extra teeth (or missing teeth)
- Open bite (when teeth don’t meet with mouth closed)
- Excessive spacing between teeth
- Poor oral habits such as thumb-sucking
Early orthodontic problems can have a number of causes. Some are inherited while others may be the result of accidents, abnormal swallowing, or dental disease. In some cases, such as epilepsy and diabetes in children, the necessary medications to combat the illnesses can affect a child’s teeth.
Most orthodontists will opt to wait before treatment, if possible. They are not in a commission business, so if your child’s orthodontist recommends treatment you can rest assured that it will benefit your child.
Advantages of Early Treatment
The greatest advantage of early treatment is the ability to utilize the natural growth of a child during treatment. It is much easier to guide growth than it is to correct it after the fact. That is why the earliest age for braces is six or seven.
Using fixed or removable orthodontic appliances can effectively shift teeth, correct jaw growth, or provide adequate spacing along the jaw. Although appliances are not always necessary, the ability to use them early in the growth period will make later treatment less traumatic.
The earlier a problem is discovered, the easier it is to correct.
Moving on to Phase 2 Treatment
Phase 2 Treatment is for children from age 10 and older (even adults). This is what most people are familiar with when discussing orthodontic care. This is the period when almost all the adult teeth are in place and the jaw is fully grown. Every child has different growth patterns, so the optimal age for Phase 2 Treatment will vary.
In cases of minor alignment problems, Phase 2 Treatment may involve wearing a removable retainer at night. In other cases, your child may need to wear braces or Invisalign to adjust tooth and jaw alignment. As with Phase 1 Treatment, the earlier a problem is discovered, the easier it is to correct.
Delaying orthodontic treatment can lead to future health problems for your child. Although many people consider a straight smile merely a cosmetic issue, it is much more than that.
Having teeth with proper alignment makes it easier to chew food. With easier chewing comes better digestion. Better digestion leads to better absorption of nutrients. With better nutritional input, your child will experience better overall health.
Another great advantage of Phase 2 Treatment is giving your child a boost to self-esteem and confidence. If your child feels embarrassed about the appearance of their teeth, they may smile less and be shy. With a healthy, straight smile, children tend to become more confident in themselves, smile more, and feel better about their appearance.
Understanding Braces and Invisalign
The biggest differences between braces and Invisalign First® are in the appearance and in how they move teeth. The end result of either treatment is a great smile.
Braces work using tension, or by pulling teeth into position. The doctor affixes metal or ceramic brackets to each tooth then will thread a wire through each bracket. Tightening the wire produces tension, which creates the force that moves teeth. The small brackets are visible. Children (and adults too!) have the option for colored bands to hold the wire in place, which makes them fun.
Invisalign First® uses all the features of adult Invisalign® but also has special features to accommodate smaller mouths and address the issues in young children. The nearly invisible tray aligners work by using gentle pressure to push teeth into alignment. Children should wear the trays 20 to 22 hours each day but can remove them for eating and oral hygiene.
Making Choices for Your Child or Teen
Even though the earliest age for braces is six or seven, most children will not need early intervention. If your child is near that age, please take the time to have them examined by an orthodontist. Smiles by Lorino is a full-service family orthodontic practice.
To make an appointment, parents can use the online Appointment Request form or call one of our offices to speak directly to a scheduling coordinator.