When Should Kids Get Braces? 5 Signs Your Child Is Ready for Braces

A smile communicates happiness and spreads cheer. You never want to see another person hide theirs because of insecurities about their teeth.

Braces fix crooked teeth, overbites underbites, and crossbites to help with comfort and confidence. This is everything you want for your child, but, when do kids get braces?

5 Indications: When Do Kids Get Braces?

If your child appears to need braces, then you want to get them as soon as possible to fix everything and prevent the problem from getting worse. But, you also do not want to get them too early or it can cause problems for their development.

Keep reading to learn when to call your child’s orthodontist and seek these options.

1. Age

What is the age for braces?

Most people will say to take your child to an orthodontist between the ages of 10 and 14 for braces placement. But, The Academy of Orthodontics recommends taking them for an evaluation before the age of 7.

The orthodontist can detect problems even while the little one still has baby teeth. Though they may hold off on braces until they develop a little more, they can take other preventative measures to stop conditions from worsening.

Note that taking them to an orthodontist does not automatically mean that they will end up with braces. Some children may not need them, and you can move forward knowing this.

2. An Unaligned Bite

If you notice that your child does not bit properly, then they may need braces. Your child has a healthy bite if their top teeth sit slightly over their bottom teeth so that the molars sit into the grooves of one another.

An overbite occurs when the top teeth overlap the bottom. This can cause insecurities, discomfort, trouble opening the mouth, speech issues, and sleep apnea.

An underbite occurs when the bottom teeth cover the top. This creates the same issues as above, plus causes concern for choking.

You see a crossbite with laterally misaligned dental arches. Without braces, this causes significant cosmetic issues, pain, jaw problems, and tension headaches.

3. Crooked Teeth

Teeth may crowd, overlap, or space out. If your child’s teeth do not grow in straight, then you may want to opt for braces to avoid problems with chewing, pain, and confidence.

4. Wrong Number of Teeth

How many teeth do we have?

By the age of 3, toddlers should show 20 baby teeth that will begin to fall out around the age of 5. The adult tooth should not take more than 6 months to grow in.

A healthy mouth should contain 32 teeth by the age of by between the ages of 12 and 14. If you notice that your child loses teeth or grows them in too early or late, or possesses the wrong number of teeth, then they may need braces.