When most parents think about orthodontics, they often picture preteens in braces—usually somewhere around middle school. But according to Dr. Meagan Sturm of Rêve Orthodontics, the ideal time for a child’s first orthodontic checkup is actually age seven.
“By age seven, most children have a mix of baby and adult teeth, which gives us a clear picture of how their teeth are developing,” says Dr. Meagan. “More importantly, some parts of facial growth, like the width of the upper jaw, are complete by that age.” That means if there’s a need to widen the upper jaw or create space for future adult teeth, it's much easier and often pain-free to do it earlier.
Historically, orthodontics has often relied on extractions to address a variety of concerns—crowding, jaw asymmetries, and bite discrepancies. However, what we’ve discovered over time is that many of these issues can be corrected without extractions by intervening earlier, while a child’s growth is still underway. Early expansion can create the space needed for developing teeth, increase upper airway volume, improve speech, and help correct high palatal vaults.
There is good news: initial orthodontic consultations are complimentary at our office, and not every child will need treatment at age seven. “The first visit is often just a conversation and a chance to build trust,” says Dr. Meagan. “If we have built a level of trust where I’m seeing them every six months, I’m able to celebrate them, look at the X-ray with them. We have connected.” Kiddos even get Dippin’ Dots at Rêve Ortho’s offices.
Ultimately, Dr. Meagan says it’s about giving families information early so they can make smart decisions down the road. “As a parent myself, I’d rather have more information than not enough. I would want to avoid figuring out too late that there is a problem.”
Whether your child is seven going on eight or still losing baby teeth, it doesn’t hurt to book that first consultation and prepare your child’s adult smile for success.
"By seven, most children have a mix of baby and adult teeth, which gives us a clear picture of how their smile is developing."