01/09/2026
Should we wait until all the adult teeth come out before starting orthodontic treatment?
Not always.
A crossbite happens when an upper tooth bites behind the lower tooth instead of sitting slightly in front of it.
Sometimes it’s simply because a tooth has erupted in the wrong position. But if the bite causes a child to shift their jaw when closing, leaving it uncorrected may contribute to uneven tooth wear or influence how the jaws develop.
The good news? Some crossbites can be relatively straightforward to correct when identified early.
Depending on the problem and the child’s stage of development, we may use partial braces on just a few teeth or, in suitable cases, clear aligners designed for children.
The goal isn’t to give a young child a full set of braces.
It’s to make a small, targeted correction at the right time, so the teeth can bite more normally as the child continues to grow.
That’s an important part of early orthodontics:
We don’t treat everything early.
But we also don’t wait on everything.
An orthodontic assessment around age 7 can help identify which problems are better monitored—and which may benefit from earlier intervention.
📌 Save this if your child’s bite looks a little “off,” and speak to your dentist or orthodontist if you’re unsure whether it needs attention.
This content is for general education only. The need and timing for orthodontic treatment depend on the individual child’s teeth, bite and stage of development.
