Does My Child Need An Orthodontist?
As a parent, you want to ensure your child’s teeth are healthy, functional, and in excellent condition. Taking your child to an orthodontist is an excellent way to monitor their dental and jaw development and ensure that orthodontic problems like poor bite and misalignments are identified early and corrected promptly to prevent future complications. In this article, let’s explore the different situations when your child might need orthodontic care and at what ages most kids get braces.
When Does Your Child Needs Orthodontic Treatment?
Below are reasons you may want to take your child to an orthodontist:
- Crookedness or Misalignment
Besides affecting your child’s smile, crooked or misaligned teeth can affect their bite function and speech, lead to poor dental hygiene, and put your child at a higher risk of cavities, jaw pain, and gum disease. The orthodontist can align their teeth properly, improving their smile and oral health.
- Crowding
Teeth crowding can happen if your child’s small jaw or baby teeth don’t fall in time. Overcrowding can cause teeth damage, poor dental hygiene, bite problems, and misalignments. The orthodontist can use treatments like extraction to correct overcrowding to give your child a healthy and well-balanced smile.
- Difficulty Speaking and Chewing
If your child struggles to chew or speak normally, they might have orthodontic problems like a misaligned jaw or teeth. Orthodontic treatments can correct these issues, allowing your child to eat and communicate effectively.
- Thumb-Sucking
While it might seem harmless, regular thumb-sucking can lead to jaw and teeth problems like overbites. An orthodontist can help correct any problems caused by thumb-sucking and help establish ways to stop the habit.
- Jaw pain or Clicking
Jaw pain, clicking, or difficulty opening the mouth can indicate jaw problems. Our dentist in Calgary can help correct the underlying issues and alleviate pain and other symptoms associated with the condition.
- No Recent Exams
Most dental experts recommend taking your child to an orthodontist near you at around age seven. It allows for early diagnosis of orthodontic issues when they are easy to correct. If you have taken your child for an orthodontist evaluation, now might be a good time to make an appointment.
Once you’ve taken your child to the orthodontist, they will examine their teeth, jaw, and mouth comprehensively to determine any issues. They may take x-rays and other diagnostic tests to better understand the child’s oral health. If they identify any problem, the orthodontist will design a treatment plan to address it and restore your child’s health.
Common types of orthodontic treatments for children include:
- Traditional braces: They consist of metal wires and brackets attached to the teeth for the entire treatment period. The braces apply gentle pressure that moves the teeth in the desired positions.
- Clear braces: Instead of metal wires and brackets, they contain clear or tooth-colored materials like ceramic, making them less noticeable.
- Lingual braces: These braces work like traditional braces but are attached to the back of the teeth, making them less noticeable.
- Invisalign: Invisalign is a clear aligner consisting of clear, custom, removable trays.
Below are some of the benefits of taking your child to the orthodontist:
- Improved oral health: Orthodontic treatments can help correct teeth and jaw problems like misalignments and overcrowding, enhancing your child’s oral health.
- Improved smile: Teeth crookedness can make your child feel less attractive, significantly affecting their self-esteem and confidence. Orthodontic treatments can align your child’s teeth or jaw, giving them a flawless smile they can proudly show off.
- Improved bite and speech function: Correcting orthodontic problems like misalignments improves how your child eats, breathes, and speaks.
- Improved oral hygiene: Overcrowded or misaligned teeth can trap food particles and be challenging to clean, leading to oral infections. Thanks to orthodontic care, straighter teeth are easy to clean and don’t trap food.
- Prevent future problems: Addressing teeth misalignments early on helps prevent more serious conditions in the future.
What Age Do Most Kids Get Braces?
When a child can get braces can depend on factors like age and severity of their dental issues. Children usually get braces at around 12 – 13 years when their permanent teeth have come in.
Children with severe orthodontic issues might need to start their treatment earlier. It’s best to consult with an orthodontist immediately to determine whether your child needs orthodontic treatment and when they can begin.
Schedule an Appointment with Us to Know More
Does your child have orthodontic problems? Or are you unsure whether or not your kid needs orthodontic care? Contact Sunridge Dental Clinic to book a consultation with our orthodontist in Calgary, AB.