Does my child need braces yet—or just a check-up?

Your child’s adult teeth are starting to appear, and a few look crooked. Should you book an orthodontic appointment, or wait until the rest of the baby teeth fall out?

An orthodontic assessment can be useful while your child still has a mixture of baby and adult teeth. But having a check-up does not mean they need to start treatment.

What are we looking for?

There is more to an orthodontic assessment than checking whether the front teeth are straight. We also assess how the upper and lower teeth meet, the space available for developing teeth, and whether teeth are erupting in the expected positions.

Some irregularity is part of normal dental development. Other findings, such as a crossbite or a tooth struggling to erupt, may benefit from closer attention.

When can early treatment help?

Early treatment may be recommended to address a specific problem—for example, correcting a crossbite that causes the jaw to shift, or managing space after a baby tooth is lost prematurely.

The aim should be clear: what are we trying to improve, and why is this the right time?

Early treatment does not necessarily remove the need for braces or aligners later, once more adult teeth have erupted.

Sometimes, monitoring is the best plan

For many children, the appropriate next step is simply a review appointment. Monitoring allows us to follow their development and recommend treatment when it is likely to be most useful.

At Adelaide Orthodontics, we can help you understand what is happening with your child’s teeth, what needs attention now, and what can wait.