Seven Reasons to See an
Orthodontist at Age 7

At approximately age seven, the first permanent teeth begin to erupt as the baby teeth are exfoliated. Many problems may present even at this early age that, if left unattended, can be difficult to correct at a later age or even cause irreparable damage to the permanent teeth.

Excessive wear and chipping of front teeth – Among the first permanent teeth to erupt are the lower incisors followed closely thereafter by the permanent upper incisors. Because these front teeth are the most cosmetically important teeth in the mouth, it is vital to ensure their long term integrity. Often, these teeth erupt into positions where they occlude traumatically with the opposing teeth. Left unmanaged, excessive wear and fracture of the precious enamel of these teeth can occur quite rapidly. Enamel is irreplaceable and fractures or irregular wear will inevitably lead to comprises in the final cosmetic appearance of these teeth. Moderate to severe fractures or wear will ultimately require the placement of composite or porcelain restorations at a very young age. Henceforth, these restorations will be prone to breakage and present a long term maintenance problem which could have been easily avoided by early orthodontic intervention.

Cross-bite of back teeth - When the upper back teeth fit inside of the bottom back teeth (on one or both sides), this is an indication of a discrepancy in jaw growth (which is quite common). The presence of cross-bite of the back teeth usually indicates that the upper jaw (the maxilla) is too narrow to permit normal fit with the lower teeth. This usually will cause a the lower jaw to shift to one side or the other to permit a comfortable bite. Treatment with an expansion appliance to increase the width of the upper teeth is needed immediately. The condition is best treated at an early age, not only to facilitate proper jaw function, but also because the tissues are more responsive to therapy at a younger age. With increasing age, the tissues become more and more resistant to the expansion process. If left untreated into the mid to late teens, the results are often comprised and prone to relapse. If left untreated into adult hood, only a surgical procedure to widen the upper jaw is effective. Upper arch expansion is a relatively simple and comfortable procedure performed routinely by orthodontists.

Cross-bite of front teeth - When the front teeth contact edge to edge or when any of the lower front teeth fit in front of the upper front teeth one is at risk of many dental problems. This can be the result of aberrant tooth positions due to crowding or can be an indication of a more serious discrepancy of jaw growth. When the cause is due to aberrant tooth positions, early orthodontic correction is aimed at prevention of excessive wearing and chipping of the front teeth. When the cause is a discrepancy of jaw growth, therapy is aimed at correcting the jaw discrepancy. Regardless of the cause, therapy or close monitoring of the situation is immediately required and vital to preventing damage to the teeth and facilitating an expedient and ideal outcome.

Habits: finger/thumb sucking - Children often present with habits such as finger or thumb sucking which can adversely effect dental develop and cause such problems as displacement of teeth and open-bite mal-occlusion. Not all digit habits will require treatment. Often, simply educating a child and parent can help reduce or alleviate the problem. When treatment is indicated, simple obstructive appliances can be utilized to block placement of the digit in side the mouth. Without this simple intervention or close monitoring, problems caused by digit habits can become very difficult to correct as the child ages.

Habits: tongue thrusting - Habitual positioning of the tongue between or against the upper and lower teeth can lead to inhibition of normal eruption of the teeth or displacement of the teeth. As with digit habits, simple obstructive appliances can prevent the tongue from asserting pressure on the teeth and thereby bring about expedient resolution of the problem. Again, the problem can be easily treated at a young age whereas, without early intervention, as the child ages, the problem becomes increasingly difficult to manage.

Eruption problems and space management - It is not uncommon that eruption of permanent teeth will be inhibited by teeth which are displaced due to crowding or problems with exfoliation of the baby teeth. Usually, "limited" treatment with braces is a simple means to make space available for the permanent teeth to erupt. In more severe cases, extraction of either primary or permanent teeth may be required to facilitate proper and expedient eruption of permanent teeth. When baby teeth are lost prematurely due to decay or trauma adjacent permanent teeth will often collapse into the residual space. The result is a severe shift of the entire arch which can be difficult to recover. Placement of a space maintainer should be considered immediately following premature loss any tooth (loss of certain baby teeth, depending upon the stage of development, may not require a space maintainer).

Severe Crowding - When severe crowding of the teeth is detected early in development, selective, carefully time intervention can facilitate proper eruption and expedite resolution of an otherwise severe problem.