Orthodontics for Children

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Initial assessment

As recommended by the Canadian Association of Orthodontists (CAO) and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), dental development and occlusion (contact between teeth) should be evaluated by an orthodontist around the age of 7.

At this age, the child has a mixed dentition (primary and permanent teeth) and it is possible to prevent and minimize many problems that would become more difficult to resolve later.

Orthodontic treatment, if necessary, will generally be initiated in early adolescence, while the child is still growing.

Regular monitoring to prevent and intercept problems before they become serious

From the age of 7, your child will have to undergo regular monitoring (every 12 to 18 months) in order to follow the evolution of his or her teeth.

When there is a lack of space

When there is not enough space for the eruption of the permanent teeth, the extraction of one or more teeth (primary teeth) may be recommended to avoid overlapping and crowded teeth. This will be determined after taking a panoramic X-ray and doing a clinical examination.

A dental space maintainer can also be used to preserve the space available in the dental arches during the eruption of the permanent teeth and prevent the occurrence of more serious tooth development problems.

If permanent teeth are not all erupting in a normal position despite sufficient space, orthodontic treatment will then be considered to get a good alignment of the teeth.