How do I know if my child needs braces?

[DonnaB]

Hello parents of the community! My name is Donna and I’m working with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) (http://braces.org). I talked to the director of the site to share some information to parents about braces and orthodontists for their children!

A lot of parents want to know if and when their child might need braces – here are some early signs that may indicate the need to see an orthodontist:

• Early or late loss of baby teeth
• Difficulty in chewing or biting
• Crowded, misplaced or blocked out teeth
• Jaws that shift or make sounds
• Biting the cheek or roof of the mouth
• Grinding or clenching of the teeth
• Jaws and teeth that are out of proportion to the rest of the face

If these are signs that your child might have, definitely see an orthodontist (http://braces.org) (who, btw have 2-3 years of specialized education beyond dental school to learn the proper way to align and straighten teeth).

If anyone or their children has had braces, please post a comment and share your experiences! Also, feel free to ask questions, let's get this discussion going!

Thanks! :)

Donna
donna@americanpopinc.com (mailto:donna@americanpopinc.com)

[DonnaB]

I just wanted to follow up with some more information, in response to a lot of questions I’ve had Moms ask me, "When should my child seen an orthodontist?” The AAO recommends that children visit an orthodontist no later than age 7 to check on subtle problems with teeth and jaw growth.

I hope this is helpful! :) I’ve heard a lot of varying feedback to when parents take their children to visit an orthodontist for the 1st time – at what age did you take your kids?