1. You don’t always have to wait for all the adult teeth to come through 

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear from parents is that you need to wait until all the adult teeth have come through before seeing an orthodontist. In fact, an early assessment can be particularly valuable because a child is still growing and developing. We can identify potential problems such as crowding, crossbites, jaw discrepancies or teeth that may struggle to erupt, and in some cases, intervene at the right stage to make future treatment simpler. 

The best age to have a child’s teeth assessed by a preventive orthodontist is age 7-8, just as the adult teeth are erupting. That way, we can identify problems and consider a wide range of preventive gentle braces or alignersto prevent adult teeth extractions, tooth surgery and even invasive jaw surgery later. 

2. Crowding isn’t something we simply have to accept and fix later 

It’s important to identify a lack of space early, while children are still young and growing. One of the things we look for is whether the baby teeth are already crowded or very tightly positioned. While this doesn’t guarantee that the adult teeth will be crowded, it can be an early sign that there may not be enough space for them to erupt comfortably. 

The good news is that, in some children, it is possible to create or preserve space while the jaws are still developing. Around the age of eight can be an important time to assess this, although the ideal timing varies from child to child. It can be particularly useful to look at children once their four front adult teeth on the top and bottom have come through, along with their first adult molars. 

When children are young, their jaws are still developing, which can give us opportunities to guide growth and create space where appropriate. Leaving certain problems until the teenage years can make treatment more complex and, in some cases, may mean considering the removal of healthy adult teeth to create enough space. The earlier we  understand what is happening, the more options we may have. 

3. How a child breathes matters 

How a child breathes can influence much more than how well they sleep. When children habitually breathe through their mouth rather than their nose, it may affect the way the tongue rests, how the jaw develops, and how the teeth come together. 

As a preventive orthodontist, I look for these early signs because they can sometimes indicate that a child’s breathing, facial growth and bite need a closer look. The aim isn’t to wait until crooked teeth become an obvious problem, but to understand what may be contributing to them while a child is still growing. 

Early assessment gives us the opportunity to understand the bigger picture and, where appropriate, work alongside other healthcare professionals such as myofunctional therapists to support healthy development before more complex orthodontic treatment may be needed later. 

4. Look at the bite, not just whether the teeth are straight 

Straight teeth don’t necessarily mean a healthy bite. When I assess a child, I’m looking beyond whether the teeth look neat to understand how the upper and lower jaws fit together, how the teeth meet when they bite and how the mouth functions. 

A child can have seemingly straight teeth while developing a crossbite, deep bite, overbite, open bite or an underlying jaw imbalance that may become more difficult to address with time. This is where preventive orthodontics can make a real difference: by looking at the whole picture while a child is growing, we can identify potential issues early, monitor them and, when appropriate, intervene at the right time. 

It’s not simply about creating a straighter smile. It’s about bringing the whole of the mouth into a more harmonious and healthy position. 

5. An early orthodontic assessment doesn’t necessarily mean early braces 

An early orthodontic assessment doesn’t necessarily mean your child will need braces straight away, or even at all. In preventive orthodontics, an early visit is often about understanding how the teeth, jaws and bite are developing and identifying anything we might want to keep an eye on. 

Sometimes, the best approach is simply to monitor growth and wait until the timing is right. In other cases, early intervention can help guide development or address major potential problems before they become more complicated. 

The important thing is having the information early, so parents aren’t left wondering whether they should have acted sooner. Think of it less as starting treatment and more as creating a strong foundation for your child’s developing smile. 

If you have any concerns about the way your child’s teeth are coming through, we would love to help and prevent problems later down the line.

To book an early orthodontic assessment, call us on 0161 524 3710  or visit www.joyfulortho.co.uk