6 Year Old and the Orthodontist?

HI
I asked my sister (shes a dental assistant) about this and heres what she said "Orthodontic appliances can be applied at any age. It depends on the childs bite and teeth spacings. If some spaces are too narrow for adult teeth to come in, they can come in in the wrong positions."

so take her to the orthodontist and get an opinion as to what work she may need. just because she gets a consult doesn't mean she'll get a full set of braces at 6 years old.

good luck

It may not be her teeth that are the problem... it may be her palate (the roof of the mouth) that needs fixing. My daughter had a narrow palate which caused her bite to be incorrect, and she had to have a palate expander device when she was six. The device was cemented in place (to her molars) for about 4 months, and every day I inserted a "key" into a notch in the device that would tighten it very slightly. It doesn't hurt, just feels tight for a few minutes afterward. At the end of the four months, the device was removed and she wore a retainer at night just to ensure that her teeth stayed where they were supposed to be. It made a big difference in her bite, and as an added bonus she stopped snoring at night because the palate had been interfereing with her breathing. She is almost 10 now and will probably still need braces because her new front teeth came in a little crooked.

If you have any doubts, don't hesitate to get a second opinion, or to ask questions of the orthodontist and be sure you understand exactly what he/she is recommending.

There may not be room for the adult teeth to come in. I'd take the dentists advice and see the specialist and then decide where to go from there.

My oldest niece, who is only 7, also needs to see an orthodontist. She has a cross-bite and will eventually need braces.
Did the dentist tell you to go the the orthodontist now or were they just letting you know who they recommend? As far as I know, there isn't anything they can do until all the affected adult teeth are in, so maybe they just want it checked out.

We just got the same advice for my 8 yo. she has a very narrow palette which is causing her adult teeth to come in ON TOP of each other. The dentist said if the expand her palette she will probably still need braces, but not as long, plus it could fix her breathing/snoring since it's affecting her sinuses. I'm just getting consults now, but I think it will happen sooner rather then later as a preventative thing!