Hi Lonnie, It is tough to say if he is ready for orthodontics without doing an exam and looking at his permanent tooth development and sequencing patterns. We do not recommend Invisalign to kids younger than 16. Mainly because they are not able to keep up with the trays or they are not compliant or they lose the trays—therefore the teeth do not move like they supposed to and the treatment is delayed and becomes more costly. Sounds like his canines will need to be evaluated on Xrays as well in order to know if he needs extractions before his orthodontics. I would advise to go ahead and visit an orthodontist by this summer, so he/she can advise you with the appropriate treatment recommendations. I hope this helps! Dr. Dora Nemeth

Your son is ABSOLUTELY not too young at 10 to begin the orthodontic journey. Todays approach is much different than in past years. Instead of waiting until 12 or 13 when most all of the permanent teeth have come in and then unraveling a mess, the most current approach is to actually start seeing and even treating kids as young as 6 or 7 to help make sure the growth and development of the jaws and face is happening to its full potential and there are no compromises. Many things are assessed such as allergies, tonsils and adenoids, nasal breathing, proper tongue posture and many other things. My advice would be to get your child evaluated as soon as possible. We would be glad to do a preliminary screening for you and let you know if we could help. The office phone is 512-347-0044 Dr Kevin Winters