The American Association of Orthodontists recommends children have an orthodontic screening no later than age 7. By then, enough of the permanent teeth have emerged to identify potential problems. However, you shouldn’t wait until all the permanent teeth erupt in the mouth. Starting orthodontic treatment early in life offers many advantages. For example, while children are still growing, expansion devices can be used to modify the width of the palate, which can help teeth come in straighter. Such treatment is best done at an early age to maximize a patient’s orthodontic potential.

Many people undergo orthodontic treatment during adolescent and teen-age years, when most of the permanent teeth have come in and treatment can be most effective. About 3 million teen-agers in the United States and Canada wear braces, and millions more would benefit from treatment.

An increasing number of adults now undergo orthodontic treatment, due to heightened dental awareness and the fact that more patients have all or most of their teeth. However, adult treatment can be more complicated and may require more than one dental professional to fully correct a problem. For example, adult patients may be more susceptible to gum problems and will need to address these, or they may have skeletal (jaw alignment) problems that require corrective jaw surgery. One of the biggest limitations in adult treatment is that adults are no longer growing.

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