When Should I Get Braces?

When shouldn’t you?! We recommend your children get a braces check at 7-8 years old (a service we provide for free) – you know, just to make sure they’re not dentally retarded!

Things to Look For in Children over 7:

  • Baby teeth ‘hanging on’ too long (i.e. 2 rows of teeth)
  • Upper front teeth protruding – “Bugs Bunny”
  • Riders – teeth bunched up in front
  • Lower front teeth ahead of uppers – “bull dog bite”
  • Spacing – like a sieve! (back teeth missing)
  • Thumb or tongue sucking (after age 7)
  • Cross bite – front or back
  • Open bite – teeth not meeting at the front
  • Deep bite – upper front teeth completely covering lowers
  • Teeth missing

Mainly in adults (any age):

  • All the above
  • Teeth drifted out of alignment (gum disease)
  • Spaces opening over time (back teeth missing)
  • Teeth getting too long (over-erupting)

Signs you may have TMJ (jaw joint) problems:

  • It hurts to chew
  • It cracks to yawn
  • Headaches
  • Neuralgia
  • Lock Jaw
  • Clenching or grinding
  • You find notes on your pillow at night asking for help and signed by your jaw joint

When you should NOT get braces:

  • When your teeth are perfect
  • When you already have braces (doubling up doesn’t help!)
  • When you’re winning a Tooth Gap Contest
  • When you’re an astronaut on the moon (the trip to our office is a bit too far)

To see how great your teeth could look, see our Before & After images.