Confidence Starts Early: Why Age 7 Matters in Orthodontics

The “6-7” fad may be fading but at Orthodontic Specialists of Lake County we’re actually always focused on this age set! That’s because we firmly believe that age 7 is the right time for your kiddo to receive their first orthodontic consultation. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) agrees: “Your child should have a check-up with an orthodontist by age 7”. 

Why so early? It’s not actually all that early! This is the perfect time to get a baseline and assess your child’s jaw growth – when a few baby teeth have come out and a few adult teeth have come in. Now is the time we can spot big deal problems while they’re still small and now is the time we can get a jump start on helping your child achieve a confident smile. 

Does an early appointment mean early orthodontic treatment? Not necessarily. Often, our orthodontists will take a quick peek, and sometimes photos and  x-rays, and say, “Nope, not yet!” When this happens we add your child to our “Future Smiles Club” program. We’ll ping you once or twice a year to see if there have been any major changes in their smile, bite or jaw growth. During that time we get to start building a relationship with your child so that when the time comes, they feel confident coming to our office and working with our awesome team. 

What are we looking for? At OSOLC, early evaluations allow us to assess: 

● Crowding or spacing issues 

● Crossbites, underbites, overbites 

● Jaw growth discrepancies 

● Prolonged thumb-sucking effects 

● Early or late loss of baby teeth 

● Airway or breathing concerns 

Because Dr. Sellke, Dr. Rhee, and Dr. Nagy combined have decades of expertise with advanced orthodontic care, we can identify concerns precisely, without guesswork. 

The Confidence Factor At OSOLC we care deeply about confidence. If your child does present with the need for early orthodontics, we will come up with a unique treatment plan and walk you through every step. We want you, as the parent, to feel confident in this treatment plan and we know that early correction can have a number of confidence benefits for your child as well. Like… 

● Improved speech clarity

● Reduced teasing or self-consciousness 

● Helping kids smile more freely 

● Supporting better oral hygiene habits 

When kids feel good about their smile, they carry themselves differently. That confidence compounds over time. Just take a look at some of our social posts to see our happy and confident patients. 

The OSOLC Difference You are in great hands with OSOLC. Our cutting-edge technology allows for efficient treatment and our team can’t be beat. 

Find out if your child is ready for early orthodontics today – click here to schedule a free consultation. You can be confident that with our history, we’ll only recommend what we think will bring them and you the most confident smile for years to come. 

CLICK BELOW OR CALL US TODAY FOR A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION.

Our Patients Say It Best

Every smile is unique. That’s why we offer flexible, custom treatment options for every age, goal, and lifestyle.

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Made my daughter feel comfortable. Increased my anxiety on talk about removing her permanent teeth for braces in 1 -2 years, however. I'm hopeful this isn't the only option. Thank you
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Stanell
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Love this place. Over 35 years ago with being a patient. I returned over 5 years ago with my daughter to receive the same great service. Great customer service. Keep up the great work.
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Christy
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Very warm centered practice they informed us on everything we needed to know with having braces & going forward. Definitely recommend this practice, They always were acommodating & worked with my daughter Jasella gracefully. Checked on her & made sure she was cleaning accurate. Hands down 100% good people here. Highly recoonmend
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Kathy
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Professional staff and caring providers. I’ve always been nervous about all dental and orthodontic care but found that they truly value patients and create an excellent patient experience. Outstanding care!
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Adrienne
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Great service
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Tenarre