When should my child see the orthodontist?
While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends visiting a kids’ orthodontist around age seven. By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, making it easier for Dr. Tindall, our pediatric orthodontist, to diagnose and correct tooth and jaw problems sooner and without surgery.
Early treatment allows your orthodontist to:
- Correct and guide the growth of your child’s jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
- Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
- Create more space for crowded teeth
- Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
- Correct thumb sucking and help improve minor speech problems
Putting off treatment can result in a need for more invasive treatment later in life that may not completely fix your smile. Early treatment is most effective for achieving lasting results. Early treatment now could give your child a healthy, beautiful smile for the future.
It’s not always easy for parents to know if their child needs orthodontic treatment.
Signs your child should see a pediatric orthodontist:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- A hard time chewing or biting food
- Mouth breathing
- Finger or thumb sucking
- Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
- Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
- Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
- Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
- Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight
Please contact our pediatric orthodontist serving Manhattan, Junction City, Wamego, Fort Riley and the surrounding Kansas areas, to schedule your child’s free orthodontic evaluation.
Two-phase orthodontic treatment
Two-phase orthodontic treatment is a specialized process combining tooth straightening and physical, facial changes. The purpose of two-phase treatment is to maximize the opportunity to accomplish the ideal healthy, functional, aesthetic result that will remain stable throughout your life.
Kids' Club
At Tindall Orthodontics, we do everything possible to make your orthodontic experience exciting and fun. If you are not ready to begin orthodontic treatment, we would like to invite you to join our program to involve younger children in our practice… Kids’ Club!
Kids’ Club members will be given the chance to win great prizes in our office contests! If you are an adult patient with young children or you have a child currently in treatment with younger siblings, call or visit our office today to get your kids signed up!