The adult front teeth are much larger than the baby teeth they replace, and at 7 they often come in overlapping or turned. Parents see crowding; the orthodontist is looking at whether the jaw has, or will develop, the room to resolve it.
Why crowding at 7 often improves
The arch widens naturally between 7 and 10 as the canines and premolars come in, and there is a size difference between the baby molars and the adult premolars that replace them which frees up a few millimetres per side. Mildly crowded front teeth in a child whose jaws are growing in proportion frequently straighten out to some degree, and the rest is handled with one course of treatment at 11 to 13.
When it is a narrow jaw rather than crowding
If the upper jaw is narrow, with a high palate and back teeth biting inside the lower, the crowding is a symptom of a jaw that does not have room, and the natural widening will not be enough. Expansion during growth creates room, widens the nasal floor, and is the clinic's preferred way to avoid extractions later. The clues are a crossbite, a jaw shift when closing, mouth breathing, snoring, and adult teeth coming in with no space at all rather than a little overlap.
Other reasons to treat early
Crowding with adult teeth heading the wrong direction, baby teeth that refuse to fall out, or a canine that the x-ray shows on a path to become impacted. Removing a baby tooth at the right moment can redirect it.
What an assessment tells you
A panoramic x-ray shows every adult tooth, its size and its path; the scan measures the arch; the examination checks width, bite and breathing. From that, the orthodontist can say which category your child is in. Most 7-year-olds with crowding are placed on free recall and rechecked every 6 to 12 months. See what age should my child first see an orthodontist?
What not to do
Do not wait until all the baby teeth are gone if there is a crossbite, a shift or breathing signs; those windows close. And do not assume extractions are inevitable because a relative had them; growth guidance has changed that calculation for many children.
Ready to find out what your options are?
Complimentary evaluations for children, teens and adults at myORTHODONTIST Maple Ridge on Dewdney Trunk Road. No referral needed.