A common question that Parents in Key Biscayne, Florida often might have when considering orthodontics for their children is: “When is the best time to have my child evaluated by an orthodontist?” Before you start researching, Orthodontist Virginia Bocage would like to help answer that question for you.
Orthodontics is about realigning your teeth into a beautiful smile and healthy bite, in other words moving your teeth from where they are, to where they need to be. Most patients can undergo orthodontic treatment at any point in their lives. However, there are certain timelines that are more advantageous than others when moving teeth, especially during pre-adolescent and adolescent growth (age 8 – 12 yrs). During growth, teeth and jaws are developing. It’s much easier for an orthodontist to guide natural jaw growth into a beautiful smile or make room for teeth as they develop.
The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) and Dr. Virginia Bocage recommend that every child get check-up with an orthodontist no later than age 7 to determine if early orthodontic treatment is needed. By age 7, enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Bocage to evaluate the “bite” – the manner in which teeth and jaws meet and work, and how that relationship affects a child’s ability to bite, chew and speak effectively. To become an orthodontic specialist, it requires an additional 3 years of training beyond a general dental degree in the study of tooth movement and jaw growth. It’s important to have a licensed orthodontist analyze the case when evaluating a patient of any age.
It is not necessary to be referred by your general dentist for a complimentary orthodontic evaluation at Bocage Orthodontics at KB Smiles. Contact our office at (305) 361-8695 to schedule a complimentary smile exam. If your child is not a candidate for Early Treatment, we will continue to monitor your child’s dental and jaw growth development in our complimentary supervisory program to determine the right time to intervene and begin treatment at the proper time.
