Am I a Candidate?

From the age of seven it is possible to begin orthodontic screening. By this age enough permanent teeth will have emerged to aid the identification of potential problems. Treatment during adolescent and teenage years is very effective because all permanent teeth will have come in. This does not mean that treatment during adulthood is not possible although at this age treatment may be more complicated.

If you have any of the following, you may be a candidate for orthodontics treatment:

• Overbite – sometimes called ‘buck teeth’ where the upper front teeth lie too far over the lower teeth.

• Under bite – a ‘bulldog’ appearance where the lower teeth are too far forward and the upper teeth too far back.

• Cross bite – when the upper teeth do not come down slightly in front of the lower teeth preventing biting together normally.

• Open bite – space between the biting surfaces of the front and/or side teeth where the teeth bite together.

• Misplaced midline – when the centre of your upper front teeth does not line up with the centre of the lower front teeth.

• Spacing – gaps, or spaces, between the teeth as a result of missing teeth.

• Crowding – when there are too many teeth for the dental ridge to accommodate.