Almost every other child in Germany seeks orthodontic treatment. However, many parents don’t know when to start with it. Good timing is the decisive factor for the success of malocclusion treatment. We are glad to give you an advice and recommend a qualified orthodontist.
It’s not the child’s age alone which is decisive for the beginning of orthodontic treatment for malocclusions such as overbites, underbites and crossbites, misalignment of particular teeth, and dentition disorders. The progress of dentition is important, too.
Some children get their permanent teeth earlier than the others. This individual development of the child’s teeth is crucial for the beginning of the orthodontic process. An early treatment of primary teeth can begin around the age of 4.
However, a therapy only makes sense if the parents can stop their child’s thumb sucking behaviour. Little children should stop thumb sucking by the age of three at the latest. Early orthodontics treatment begins when the permanent teeth start to grow. Between ages 7 to 9, the upper jaw grows about 1 mm every year while the lower jaw grows about 3 mm.
Particularly inherited and severe malocclusions should be treated in this period of time. The regular orthodontic treatment begins about the age of 9 to 10 during the late dentition phase. Now the orthodontist can use the increased growth of facial bones to balance malocclusions. Brackets and braces can slow or accelerate the growth and bring the teeth into the right position.
During the regular treatment phase, the surrounding soft tissue is able to adapt itself very well. Another advantage is that most patients of this age are even more accessible and cooperative than in adolescence. The active malocclusion treatment approximately takes about three years. If a longer treatment is necessary or if the therapy includes several phases, your insurance fund may demand an expert’s inspection report. Besides, insurance funds only agree to cover the costs if the child is ready to cooperate.