Seven, the magic number

Many parents in New Orleans, Metairie and surrounding communities believe they must wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Gottsegen Orthodontics, only to find that treatment would have been much simpler if started much earlier. It's important to know that the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child have an orthodontic check-up no later than age seven.

"Ok," you're thinking, "what, exactly is soooo special about age seven?" Well, by then, enough permanent teeth have arrived for Dr. Brad Gottsegen to make a determination about whether any problems are present. Also, by then, the first molars have come in, providing an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or what we call “bad bite.”

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For most kids, early treatment can prevent physical and emotional trauma. Aside from spurring on years of harmful teasing, misaligned teeth are also prone to injury and detrimental to good oral hygiene. So if your child is nearing age seven, please give us a call to schedule an orthodontic consultation.

Hope you're enjoying the weekend!