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Early Orthodontics - Ages 6-10
Our objective is always to have braces on the least amount of time needed to achieve the finest benefits possible of beauty and health.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child first visit an orthodontist at age 7. This may surprise you because orthodontic treatment in the past was generally associated with adolescense. Orthodontists can improve smiles at any age, but there is usually a best age for treatment to begin.

With the benefit of an examination and diagnosis at age 7, Dr. Lunsford can determine how, when, and if a child needs treatment for maximum improvement with the least possible time and expense.

A beautiful smile and well functioning teeth and jaws involves facial balance. In some cases, early treatment achieves results that are unattainable once the face and jaws have stopped growing. Having all the growth potential of the child available allows the orthodontist to prevent distorted growth patterns from developing and improve muscle habits and tooth relationship.


Early Warning Signs
Although age 7 is usually the best time for the majority of children to have their first orthodontic examination, a visit at an even younger age is advisable when a particular problem is first noted by the parent, dentist or child's physician. This could be any deviation from the ideal environment affecting the teeth and jaws.

The following early warning signs may indicate that your child should have an orthodontic examination as soon as possible
  • Difficulty in chewing
  • Open-mouth breathing
  • Thumb or finger sucking
  • Overlapping or crowding of erupting permanent teeth
  • Jaws that tend to "click" or "pop"
  • Detection of an underbite, overbite, protruding front teeth, or other abnormal bite development.