What is the earliest age for children to get braces?

Doctor's Answers 1

It depends. If you are concerned about tooth alignment, bring your child to the regular dentist. The youngest they can do this is probably around 7-8 years of age but it depends.

There are only really 2 cases that should be treated as early as possible. One is when there is an underbite, which is when the lower set of teeth is in front of the upper. The second is when the front teeth, which is usually angling forward, is facing backwards. For those situations, it affects how the jaw will close.

Other grey areas are ‘bugs bunny’ teeth or if they have injuries during sports activities. In other countries, the bunny tooth is a criterion for accepting a child for state-funded treatment. It will be a good idea to start treatment earlier to prevent jaw surgery.

Similar Questions

Is it normal for braces wires to remain unchanged during follow up appointments?

Thank you for your question and it is indeed a valid one. Braces wires are not changed every visit due to two main reasons namely: 1) The teeth have not fully aligned to the shape of the current wire and more time is needed for the desired tooth movement to be achieved. Tooth movement is a biological process, hence it does not happen equally for everyone or every tooth. Some teeth are more crooked then others hence more time is needed to allow those teeth to straighten out.

Photo of Dr Priscilla Lu

Answered By

Dr Priscilla Lu

Orthodontist

Why do black spaces at the gums appear during braces treatment, and what can be done to treat it and maintain healthy gums?

Black spaces that appear at the gums during braces treatment are termed black triangles. It appears black as you can see the darkness of the mouth behind the teeth through these gaps. It occurs as a consequence of straightening the previously crooked teeth. When teeth are crooked, they often overlap each other. With braces treatment, the crowding is resolved and the teeth no longer overlap. However the gums, unfortunately, do not grow with the teeth into a new position hence it is the lack of gum coverage in between the teeth that results in the black spaces.

Photo of Dr Priscilla Lu

Answered By

Dr Priscilla Lu

Orthodontist

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