Early Orthodontics: Which Problem at Which Age
Early treatment is not for every child but for specific problems.
What is checked at each age
- Ages 3-5: thumb sucking, prolonged dummy use, mouth breathing
- Ages 6-7: first molars and incisors erupt; first orthodontic assessment
- Ages 6-9: crossbite and a narrow upper jaw, assessed while growth continues
- Ages 7-10: early guidance where the lower jaw sits forward
- Ages 9-11: canines at risk of impaction are followed radiographically
- Ages 10-13: appliances that guide the jaw relationship during the growth spurt
- After 12: alignment treatment once the permanent dentition is complete
Why some problems cannot wait for growth
The jaws keep growing through childhood and that growth can be guided. If the upper jaw is narrow the teeth do not meet correctly and the child shifts the lower jaw to one side to bite comfortably; once habitual, that shift can lead to asymmetry in the joint and the face. Widening the upper jaw is relatively simple while the growth suture in the palate is still open, and may need surgical support afterwards. The same logic applies where the lower jaw sits forward.
Problems for which waiting is appropriate
Not every irregularity needs early treatment, and unnecessary early intervention can lengthen the total time in appliances. Spacing in the baby dentition is often a good sign, showing room for the larger permanent teeth. Crowding of purely dental origin, with a normal jaw relationship, can be corrected once the permanent dentition is complete with the same result. Newly erupted front teeth often look rotated or spaced and settle by themselves. The right approach is a single assessment around age seven to establish which group the child is in.
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Sutculer
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Sutculer.
Getting here from Sutculer
Sütçüler lies in the Kepez district of Antalya; Kepez is one of the central districts, about 6 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Sutculer, such as Şelale, Yavuz Selim, Zafer, Altınova Sinan. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Sutculer.
Appointments for Sutculer
At this distance, splitting treatment into visits is no problem for patients from Sütçüler, and attending reviews is easy too. As with patients from Kepez generally, appointments for families from Sutculer can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Sutculer
Setting out from Sütçüler at night is quick; come without delay in an emergency, and calling as you leave means preparation is done in advance. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Sutculer, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
The Bite: How the Teeth Find Each Other
Which point contacts first as the teeth close seems unimportant at first glance. Yet a single wrong contact can cause a fracture in a distant tooth or pain in the jaw joint.
Why one point matters so much
The chewing muscles are strong and the force is distributed across the contacting surfaces. If one tooth meets before the others, the whole force lands on it for a moment. This is repeated thousands of times a day. The result on that tooth can be sensitivity, mobility, a crack or a fractured filling. On the muscular side the jaw constantly makes avoiding movements and tires.
How it is checked
You bite on thin coloured paper and the contact points leave marks on the teeth. The distribution and size of the marks are assessed; each tooth should leave a similar-sized mark. The jaw is then moved side to side and forward to examine the contacts in those movements too. The bite must be correct not only when closed but also in motion.
When an adjustment is made
A bite adjustment is needed in particular situations:
- Pain on biting after a new filling or crown
- Unexplained sensitivity or mobility in a single tooth
- Repeated filling fractures, always in the same tooth
- Fatigue in the jaw muscles and morning pain
- A crack forming in an apparently sound tooth

































































