At what age would a child have dental braces fitted?

As children’s adult teeth begin to appear parents can become concerned about irregularities – but at which point should you seek advice?

Most children begin to lose their baby teeth when they are aged four to six years old. The replacement adult teeth can often appear to be erupting at angles and battling for space.

As more adult teeth appear and begin to settle it is quite likely that the teeth will take on a much more uniform appearance. The mouth will fill out and, with children’s gums allowing movement, early concerns may well be quickly forgotten.

Does my child need braces?

However, some children will experience issues with their adult teeth, which can frequently be crowded, twisted, or suffer an overbite or underbite.

Teeth play an important part in defining appearance so it is important that early concerns are dealt with to avoid damage to self-esteem.

Quite often dental braces will not be fitted until a child has reached 12 years of age and their adult teeth are in place. As a child’s jaw is more responsive and supple, it is important to seek orthodontic treatment from an early age.

However, if you are concerned about the development of your child’s teeth it is possible to seek private dental care from the age of seven years old in serious cases.

The benefit of early intervention is that potential problems in emerging teeth can be addressed quickly while teeth are still growing, helping to cut down on treatment time.

Private orthodontic treatment for children

Timing is vital to quicker, more effective orthodontic treatment and detecting and treating problems before the later teenage years will help to shorten the time braces are fitted for.

While NHS waiting lists for orthodontic treatment stand at two years, private orthodontic treatment can get started on correcting teeth straight away.

This could mean that treatment continues until the age of 16 when most teenagers are busy sitting exams.

Regular visits to the dentist will help to identify problems in your child’s teeth. Should you have any concerns about the development of your child’s teeth seeking orthodontic treatment at an early stage is important.

If you are concerned about the development of your child’s teeth please get in touch with Stoke Orthodontic to book an appointment and discuss private or NHS options.