At Morita Orthodontics, we strive to help our patients develop beautiful, healthy smiles that last a lifetime. For many patients, that means getting braces as an adolescent, while for others, it’ll mean pursuing adult orthodontic treatment – but for some patients, it’s best for treatment to start early. Because of this, we often hear parents asking when to bring their child in for their first orthodontic evaluation. The answer? 7 is the magic number.
In keeping with the American Association of Orthodontists, we recommend that parents bring their children in for an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. At this age, the back bite is established, which lets us evaluate both side-to-side and front-to-back tooth relationships. We’ll be able to assess the development of the bite and make sure everything is coming in smoothly – and we’ll also be able to spot any current problems or problems that may develop in the future.
For most patients, we won’t start treatment this early. Even then, evaluating early lets us monitor the child’s development, choosing the ideal time to start treatment. For other conditions, though, we will need to start treatment early. This is the case for malocclusion like crossbite, crowding, and spacing issues, all of which are easier to treat when treatment starts early. By starting treatment early, we can help the smile grow correctly, minimizing the amount of time that children need to spend in braces and setting them up for a healthy, beautiful, lifelong smile.
We hope you’ve found this blog informative, and if you have any questions, we’re always here to answer them—just give us a call at 808-486-5505 for our Aiea office or 808-941-3355 for our Honolulu office. If you’d like to bring your child in for an evaluation or come set up an appointment for yourself, feel free to do so using our easy online form. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we hope to see you back at this blog for more tips and info on orthodontic health!
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment with us, you can fill out our online appointment request form or give us a call at our Honolulu office at (808) 941-3355 or our Aiea office at (808) 486-5505. We can’t wait to hear from you!
RE: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
To our valued patients,
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), President Trump, the American Dental Association and the Hawaii Dental Association are recommending all dentists postpone nonemergency dental procedures for 2 weeks. Our practice is committed to protecting the community and avoiding using valuable resources that our first responders and frontline healthcare providers will need.
Our office will be closed effective today, Wednesday, March 18, and we plan to resume regular hours on Wednesday, April 1. If you are experiencing a true dental emergency including swelling or severe tooth pain, please call your general dentist office, and listen closely as emergency contact info will be available. For all nonemergent questions, please email us at [email protected].
We are so sorry for the burden this places on your schedules, but your continued health and safety are our number one priority. Our office is working diligently to reschedule all patients with existing appointments within the next 2 weeks. We will continue to evaluate the situation as it evolves and determine on a weekly basis when it is appropriate for us to return to normal orthodontic patient care. We ask for your compassion and understanding at this time as we all work together to keep Hawaii healthy.
Sincerely,
Your Morita Orthodontics Ohana
