For Children

Just like the first day of school or learning to ride a bike, braces are a part of growing up. But unlike the stress and uncertainty of doing something new, getting braces doesn’t have to be cause for concern for your family.

Your child should get his or her first orthodontic assessment by the age of 7 years old. At that age, your youngster’s jaws and teeth have reached the point where Dr. Sutton is able to identify issues that could cause problems for your son or daughter’s smile down the road. In fact, getting your little one’s smile issues addressed sooner than later will make it better for your child as he or she continues to grow.

Some of the benefits of early orthodontic treatment include:

• Reduced need for tooth extractions later on
• Reduced overall treatment times
• Ability to preserve space from premature loss of baby teeth or even create space for adult teeth
• Preserve oral health and reduce tooth damage from protruding teeth
• Restore facial symmetry, and improve quality of developing speech by stimulating proper tooth position and jaw growth

How to tell if your child may need early orthodontic treatment

• Early or late loss of baby teeth (your child should typically start losing teeth around age five, and have all permanent teeth around age 13)
• Difficulty chewing and/or biting
• Mouth breathing
• Your child continues sucking his or her thumb after age five
• Speech impediments
• Protruding teeth (the top teeth and the bottom teeth extend away from each other)
• Teeth that don’t come together in a normal manner or even at all
• Shifting of the jaw when your youngster opens or closes his or her mouth (crossbites)
• Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight

Give us a call at (512) 668-7740 or click the schedule-free-consultation button below.