07/07/2026
One of the most common questions we hear from parents is, “Isn’t age 7 too early for braces?”
The answer may surprise you: age 7 is actually the perfect time for your child’s first orthodontic evaluation!
At this age, your child has a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth, allowing us to identify potential concerns early, including:
✔️ Crowding and spacing issues
✔️ Bite problems like overbites, underbites, and crossbites
✔️ Teeth that are coming in incorrectly
✔️ Jaw growth concerns
✔️ Harmful habits like thumb sucking
And today, we’re looking at more than just straight teeth; we’re also evaluating your child’s AIRWAY and breathing.
Signs such as mouth breathing, snoring, restless sleep, or difficulty focusing can sometimes be linked to how the jaws and airway are developing.
By evaluating children early, we can identify potential airway concerns and guide proper jaw growth and development, helping support not only a beautiful smile but also healthy breathing and overall wellness.
The good news? Most children won’t need braces right away. Many simply enter our Growth & Smile Observation Program, where we monitor their development and determine the ideal time for treatment.
Early evaluations can help prevent more complicated problems later and may even reduce the need for extractions or surgery in the future.
✨ Give your child the gift of a healthy, confident smile and healthy breathing by scheduling their first orthodontic visit by age 7.
Join us as we celebrate Smiles at 7 Day on July 7th and schedule your complimentary orthodontic evaluation with Dr. Welch at Gardens Orthodontics & Jupiter Orthodontics!
