At What Age Should a Child’s Overbite be Treated?

Your dentist in Mountain View, CA offers pediatric dentistry, including alignment correction with Invisalign®. Invisalign® is an effective solution for mild to moderate alignment problems such as overbite and underbite. Overbites are quite common, and they typically respond well to treatment. If you’re wondering whether it’s time to have your child treated for their overbite, here are some helpful tips.

Early Signs

Most often, it’s parents and caregivers who first see early signs of an overbite. However, if you’re noticing some overbite in your child, you shouldn’t assume anything. It’s best to schedule an appointment with the dentist in order to confirm any suspicions. Overbites may start to become more evident around the ages of 6 or 7, but when all the baby teeth are gone and the adult teeth come in, sometimes the overbite corrects itself. Therefore, while it’s important to keep an eye on the overbite, immediate treatment is usually not recommended, since the child’s teeth and jaw are not fully grown yet. Instead, regular dental check-ups are recommended so that the dentist can monitor the situation as the child grows.

Ideal Age Range For Treatment

It’s recommended to begin treatment for overbite after the majority of adult teeth have come in. This is so that the permanent position of the teeth can be assessed and the severity of the overbite can be better calculated. If treatment begins too early, then when the treatment is over and natural growth continues, the overbite could return. Dental professionals concur that the ideal age for Invisalign® treatment for kids is between 11 and 14 years of age. By this time, most of the child’s permanent teeth have completely come in, and the jaw has developed enough to accommodate the aligners. It’s also an age where a child is mature enough to manage the care it requires to handle their aligners responsibly and follow the treatment plan.

If you suspect that your child may have an overbite or be developing an overbite, please contact us to book an appointment for a consultation. Invisalign® in Mountain View, CA may offer an effective solution that can help to align your child’s teeth in a smooth and efficient way.