Parents are often concerned when their children show signs of needing braces. One parent, Teri, wonders if her child is too young for orthodontic treatment. Most dentists will not recommend braces until the patient is at least 7 years old. If the child has an unusually small jaw or mouth, there may be a need for early treatment to maximize the growth and development of the bones in the mouth. There are people even younger than 7 who may have problems with their teeth such that they need early treatment options that include a combination of orthodontics and dental surgery to correct any problems that may exist in the jaw and facial area and to prevent future problems from occurring. There are four parts of the mouth that an orthodontist may examine: Are the jaws growing properly? The upper jaw does not continue to grow past around 8 because it stops much earlier than the rest, which happens much sooner than the lower jaw does. Because of this, orthodontists can identify issues w...