Drs. Claro & Ghafouri present: Age 7, the magic number in orthodontics

Many parents here in Irvine and surrounding Orange County believe they should wait until their child has all of his or her permanent teeth to visit Drs. Claro or Ghafouri for a complimentary orthodontic consultation, only to find that treatment would have been much simpler if started sooner. 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.

You're probably thinking, "All right, what, exactly is sooo great about age seven?" Well, by then, enough permanent teeth have arrived for Drs. Claro or Ghafouri to make a determination about whether any problems are present. Also, by then, the first molars have come in, providing us an opportunity to check for malocclusion, or what we at Irvine Orthodontics call “bad bite.”

Early evaluation, of course, may signal a need for early treatment. For most children, 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 at (949) 954-5765 to schedule an complimentary consultation.