Invest In Your Child

As a parent, you want the best for your child. That includes healthy teeth and a pleasing smile. At Central Virginia Orthodontics, our goal is to treat your children as if they were our own, by providing them with the best possible care.

Kids Should Get an Orthodontic Check-Up By Age 7

To have a long-lasting and healthy smile, your child needs teeth and jaws that are correctly aligned - in other words, a healthy bite. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that your child get an orthodontic check-up by age seven.

By then, your child's teeth have developed enough for subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth to still be spotted while some baby teeth are still present. This check-up may reveal that your child's bite is fine and braces for kids aren't necessary.

Or, we may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring your child's growth and development, and then, if indicated, begin treatment at the appropriate time for your child. In other cases, Dr. Claiborne or Dr. Baugher might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.

 

What Is Early Treatment?

Early treatment may prevent more serious problems and may make future treatment shorter and less complicated. In some cases, we’ll be able to get results that are only possible while your child’s face and jaws are still growing.

Choosing the Optimal Time for Treatment

While the age that kids get braces may vary, orthodontic treatment most often begins between the ages of 9 and 14. Some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they are treated early.

If Dr. Baugher or Dr. Claiborne thinks your child will need treatment, they’ll let you know when to start treatment.

This gives your orthodontist the best chance to:

  • Guide jaw growth
  • Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
  • Correct harmful oral habits
  • Improve appearance and self-esteem in your child
  • Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position
  • Create a more pleasing arrangement of teeth, lips and face

Signs the Bite's Not Right

It's not always easy to tell when your child may need braces or has an orthodontic problem. Even teeth that look straight may be hiding a problem bite. Here are some clues that your child needs orthodontic treatment.

  • Early or late loss of baby teeth
  • Difficulty chewing or biting
  • Breathing through the mouth
  • Thumb-sucking
  • Crowded, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
  • Jaws that are too far forward or back
  • Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
  • Protruding teeth
  • Upper and lower teeth that don't meet, or meet in an abnormal way
  • An unbalanced facial appearance
  • Grinding or clenching of the teeth

 

Learn More at Your Free Consultation

If your child has a dental issue, please contact us by setting up a free consultation. We'd love to discuss your child's orthodontic options and develop a treatment plan that’s customized to your child's needs.