Click here to view/download the Child Patient Information form. Advanced technology coupled with scientific research and extensive studies have shown that there is no limit to who can benefit from orthodontic treatment today. Age 7 - Your Child's Important First Examination The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children should have an initial orthodontic evaluation by age 7, or earlier, to detect growth or skeletal problems of the jaws or face. Parents of young children should be alert for thumb sucking, open-mouth breathing, difficulty in chewing, overlapping or crowding or erupting permanent teeth, jaws that click or pop, and a developing underbite, overbite, protruding teeth or other abnormal development. These warning signs indicate the need for early orthodontic care. Early Diagnosis for Maximum Dental Health Early diagnosis enables us to plan a thorough and effective treatment plan to correct crooked or misaligned teeth caused by accidents, thumb sucking or inherited problems including spacing or cleft palate. Limited treatment at an early age can often make the completion of treatment at a later date easier and less time consuming as well as achieving results that might be unattainable once the jaws and face has finished growing. Some patients may require a two-phase treatment program to correct both a skeletal or growth problem and misaligned teeth.