What are the signs my child may need braces?

You don't need to diagnose anything yourself — that's exactly what a professional orthodontic evaluation is for — but there are signs parents can watch for that suggest it's worth having your child looked at. Spotting them early simply helps make sure your child gets evaluated at the right time.

The most familiar signs are visible in the teeth themselves: teeth that are noticeably crowded, crooked, or overlapping; conspicuous gaps or spacing; upper front teeth that protrude or stick out; or teeth that clearly don't line up with each other. Bite clues are just as telling, and sometimes more important. Watch for top and bottom teeth that don't meet properly when your child bites down, front teeth that don't touch even when the back teeth are closed (an open bite), upper front teeth that sit far ahead of the lower ones (a deep overbite), or upper teeth that bite down inside the lower teeth (a crossbite).

There are subtler, functional signs too, and these are easy to miss. A child who has trouble chewing or biting into food, who consistently breathes through their mouth rather than their nose, whose baby teeth were lost unusually early or are hanging on unusually late, or who still sucks a thumb vigorously past age four may be developing a bite problem worth evaluating. Jaws that shift to one side when closing, or that click or make noise, are also worth mentioning. Even difficulty with speech sounds can sometimes trace back to how the teeth and jaw are positioned.

The reassuring part is that you're not the only one watching. Because our board-certified orthodontist, Dr. Lee Wu, shares an office and a chart with your child's dentist, we monitor for all of these signs as a routine part of regular checkups. That means many developing issues are caught before a parent would ever notice them, and flagged at the ideal moment to address them.

If you do notice any of these signs, mention them to us — but also remember that many bite and alignment issues aren't visible to an untrained eye, which is why the recommended first orthodontic evaluation is around age seven whether or not you've spotted anything unusual. An early look is about information and timing, not a commitment to treatment. If you have concerns about how your child's teeth or bite are developing, just ask, and we'll take a careful look and tell you honestly what, if anything, is worth doing and when.