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Expert Q&A
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| By Catrise Austin Cosmetic and General Dentist | ||
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My 5-year-old daughter hasn't even lost a baby tooth, but my dentist wants her to see an orthodontist. Can children this young really get braces?
Your dentist may have discovered by looking at X-rays of your daughter's teeth or by a clinical exam that perhaps her jaws are not developing at the desired rate to accomodate the permanent teeth that may be waiting to come in. Your daughter should start losing her lower front baby teeth within the next year by age 6. Perhaps your dentist is forseeing a potential problem and wants to have the orthodontist step in for a consultation on a potential development problem where her teeth may be crowded if early intervention doesn't occur. There are some cases where children actually do have to wear braces or have teeth extracted along with space maintainer appliances at a young age to allow a more harmonious eruption of permanent teeth. If you have any doubts about your dentists recommendation, consider getting a second opinion. A second opinion never hurts, especially when it comes to the care of your child.
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