8 Reasons Why You Should Opt For Early Orthodontic Treatment For Your Children
Early orthodontic treatment starts at seven years of age, and it is essential to prevent dental problems later in life. Doctors recommend early orthodontic treatment for children to correct underbite, overbite, and to guide the jaw’s growth pattern. The objective is to ensure that the mouth has enough room for permanent teeth to grow with proper placement in the coming years. It also helps to reduce the risk of decay, extraction, and extensive procedures down the line.
How Important is Early Orthodontic Treatment?
Contrary to common belief, orthodontic problems can be detected early in life. Regular check-ups with an orthodontist help them evaluate your child’s existing and incoming teeth to ascertain the need for early treatment. Parents who opt for early orthodontic treatment for their children can nip far-reaching dental problems in the bud and ensure a lifetime of good dental health for their children.
If your child loses baby teeth too early or too late, is a mouth breather, or has protruding teeth, it may be a good idea to start early orthodontic treatment for them.
Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment
Lowers the Risk of Tooth Decay – Early orthodontic treatment enables your child’s teeth to grow correctly without crowding. Straight teeth that grow in an aligned manner allow your child to clean their entire mouth properly. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing are more effective when teeth grow straight. Crooked teeth make it difficult to reach every part of the mouth while brushing – leading to decay and poor oral hygiene. Early intervention with the help of braces or preventive dentistry helps correct crooked teeth and lowers the risk of tooth decay.
Prevents Premature Loss of Teeth – Babies who lose their teeth early are more susceptible to crooked growth of permanent teeth. When children lose their baby teeth early, the rest of the teeth begin to shift their positions, which interferes with the development of permanent teeth. Early treatment enables orthodontists to use special appliances to begin a tooth straightening process that allows permanent teeth to grow in the proper position.
Correcting Bite Problems – If a child’s jaws or teeth do not align properly, it is known as a malocclusion – aka underbite or overbite. Malocclusion disturbs the aligned growth of permanent teeth and may result in crowding or awkward growth. It may also cause headaches, facial or jaw pain later in life. If you attempt to correct this problem after the child grows up, it takes longer, is painful and uncomfortable, and may not be possible to correct at all in some rare cases. In such cases, early treatment can fix the problem more efficiently and painlessly rather than treatment later in life.
Helps in Preventing Dental Trauma – Crooked teeth are a recipe for dental trauma. Teeth that grow in awkward positions are more susceptible to physical damage. Protruding teeth also harm other parts of the mouth, such as the inside of the cheeks, gums, and tongue.
Can Improve Gum Health – As mentioned previously, straight teeth are easier to clean than crowded ones. But oral health goes beyond just the teeth, there’s also your child’s gums to consider. When plaque and tartar build up at the gumline for extended periods, this can cause health concerns like gingivitis. If left untreated, gingivitis can eventually progress into gum recession. Once gums recede, they can’t grow back. Aligning your child’s smile can simplify their oral care routines, giving them a head start on preventing gum issues in both the short and long term.
Guides Adult Teeth – Receiving braces early on helps adult teeth grow in the right place. Early orthodontic treatment when your child is losing their baby teeth and growing new teeth can help avoid future problems. Ensuring perfect alignment of teeth and jaws help your child develop better oral hygiene habits, improve their ability to digest food, allow them to live a life free of dental problems, and give them a beautiful smile for life.
Helps With Speaking – Difficulties in speaking are often linked to tooth alignment and jaw position. In many cases the alignment of teeth and jaws inhibit the development of speech in children and all you need is a correction of teeth alignment to remedy this problem for life! Some children with lisping difficulties, especially for sounds like ‘S’ and ‘T,’ can be helped with timely orthodontic treatment.
Improves Confidence – Children who have crooked or misaligned teeth often end up losing confidence in their appearance. It is easy to develop insecurities and get negative feelings towards their smile as a child. Braces and preventive dental care help children regain the confidence they need just by knowing that their straight teeth are on the way.
Children’s jaw bones and teeth are still soft and impressionable at a young age. Until late teen years, these bones are pliable and it is possible to correct deformities if any in early years. It is easier to treat any misalignment or improper placement of teeth at this stage. In conclusion, early treatment helps avoid lengthy procedures, extraction, and surgery in adulthood. It is an effective preventive measure that sets your child up for a lifetime for good oral health.
Author Bio: Emily Taylor found the perfect fit for herself as the Online Marketing Manager at Thurman Orthodontics in Fresno CA as she believes that a great smile does more than just make a person look great – it makes them feel great as well. The power of a smile has always been a mystery to Emily, and she loves researching and writing about it. She loves to write about everything to do with a healthy bite and a beautiful smile – weather is it ways to achieve it or the importance of it in the various aspects of life. What brings a big smile on Emily’s face is her family and surfing. She also likes to bake, and her children and co-workers call her the cookie fairy!