When to Bring Your Child to the Orthodontist in Northern NJ

As a parent, your number one concern is your child’s health, and your kid’s smile is no exception to that. Starting a child on the correct path to dental health is key, but many wonder when the perfect time to bring their child to their first appointment at Lorino Orthodontics should be. Some may say the answer is when they first start to notice dental issues, but the best age for children to be seen by an orthodontist for the first time is 7. Why age 7? Because many problems can be identified at that age and corrected early so future dental visits are a breeze. A few things Dr. Lorino will look for at the first appointment include:

• Tooth Loss and Eruption: By age 7, children should have at least four permanent molars and four permanent incisors. If there are more or less teeth than this, there may be problems with crowding, missing, or extra teeth. Sometimes removing a primary tooth early or maintaining a space where a tooth has been lost prematurely can prevent bigger problems later on.
• Crowding and Spacing: At this age it is possible to tell if a child has a problem with crowding a spacing. Spacing may mean that a baby tooth has been lost prematurely, a tooth never developed, or that the teeth are just too small. Crowding may require that the arches be expanded or that teeth be removed to help improve the situation.
• Alignment: Although teeth can be aligned at an older age, crooked teeth are more susceptible to uneven wear or damage due to trauma. It can also help boost a child self-esteem by giving them a perfect, picture-worthy smile.
• Protrusive Front Teeth: As mentioned earlier, by age 7 it is obvious if the front teeth stick out farther than is safe. Although you cannot permanently fix overbites until total tooth development, catching this at an early age will reduce severity of the problem in the future.
• Posterior Crossbites: Not only do posterior crossbites create crowding, they may also cause the jaw to shift laterally (to one side or the other). Expanding the upper jaw at age 7 can reduce the crowding and create the space necessary for the eruption of the anteriors as well as eliminate any shifting that may be present due to a constricted upper arch.
• Anterior Openbites and Deepbites: Bites that are too deep (where the top teeth completely cover the bottom) may indicate that the patient has a small lower jaw. Bites that don’t overlap enough (openbites) may signal that there is a finger or tongue habit that may be causing dental problems. We at Riverside Orthodontics eliminate these destructive habits early so that normal development can occur.

Dr. Lorino is devoted to starting everyone off on the road to a perfect, healthy smile. Our top priority is to provide our “family” of patients in Northern NJ the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment. If you are looking for a chance to give your child the best treatment possible, stop by at our offices in Long Hill or Franklin Lakes or call us to set up an appointment!