According to the American Association of Orthodontists, it is recommended that the first visit to an Orthodontist should be at the age of 7, as this helps maintain their oral health and it may also help you avoid more costly or more invasive treatments down the road.

There can be certain select cases which may need early interventions like,

• Palatal Expansion which can expand the jaws at an early age and help in creating more space to accomodate teeth which are crowded.
• Cross-bite correction can help in removing interferences in the jaw growth as well as reducing the wearing out of teeth.
• Correction of Deep Bite can protect the teeth from unwanted wear and remove interferences in the way of jaw growth.
• Correcting protrusive and malaligned teeth can reduce the risk of trauma to those teeth.
• Correcting underdeveloped upper jaw or protrusive lower jaw with Orthopedic Appliances.
• Planned removal of certain milk teeth which can help permanent teeth erupt in a better position and timely manner.

For cases which don’t require early or interceptive treatment,
Comprehensive Braces or Aligner treatment can generally be started at the age range of 10 to 12 years, when all milk teeth have been shed away.

For those who have missed the bus to start braces/aligner treatment earlier, as long as the teeth have healthy supporting structures, Braces/Aligner treatment can be started at any age after eruption of permanent teeth.