Thank you for your question. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends that your child should get a check-up with an orthodontist at the first recognition of the existence of an orthodontic problem, but no later than age 7. The more common early signs of possible orthodontic problems include :
1. Eruption problems with adult teeth either not erupting properly, failure to erupt through the baby teeth space, late eruption, or adult teeth getting stuck and not erupting at all.
2. Bite problems with pain on biting e.g lower front teeth biting on the gums behind the upper front teeth
3. Jaw problems e.g the lower jaw being either too short or too long
4. Crossbites (e.g upper front tooth behind the lower front tooth resulting in the gums receding)
5. Space problems resulting in teeth growing out messily
6. Anterior open bite due to habits
Hence, if your child presents with any of the above-mentioned conditions, it would be best to arrange a consultation with an orthodontist for an assessment as these conditions may benefit from early interceptive orthodontic treatment. Although there may be other instances where your orthodontist may choose to allow more growth and development to occur, he/she will be able to advise on what are the options and course of action needed if future correction is needed.
Hope this helps and all the very best,
Dr Priscilla Lu
Orthodontist at the Orthodontic Clinic
