What Age Should My Child See An Orthodontist?
Most orthodontists agree that children can begin their orthodontic treatment once their permanent teeth have erupted. However, an orthodontic assessment before your child has reached this stage could prevent future issues from arising. It’s important to know what opportunities exist to reduce treatment needs for your child; crooked teeth and misaligned jaws are often evident at early age. An assessment at age 7 is the best time for your orthodontist to identify any problems. Skilled management of growth and development is the key to orthodontic success.
Why Might My Child Need Orthodontics?
Children undergo orthodontic treatment most commonly due to ‘bad’ bites. Bad bites include overbites, underbites, reversed bites, lack of space, missing teeth, teeth developing beneath the gum in the wrong position, and unsightly teeth that bother them socially.
Bad bites and crooked teeth are both genetic and environmentally produced problems. Additionally, tooth decay and jaw injuries can cause orthodontic problems too.
Thumb-sucking and other bad habits can result in a poor bite. Other contributing factors include may tongue thrusting, mouth breathing pacifiers and/or bottle use for babies.
Parents should also beware of breathing habits, including how children posture their mouth during the growth period and any airway obstructions. If young children are habitual mouth breathers and constantly have their mouth open, the consequences can be significant in the development of jaws, face and airway, leading to long faces and narrow crowded dental arches.
What Problems Can Be Caused by Bad Bites?
Common problems include:
- Lower self-esteem due to crooked or crowded smiles
- Improper chewing, that can result in uneven wear on the teeth and deterioration of the jaw
- Speech impediments
- Straining of the jaw
- Difficulty keeping the teeth clean, leading to periodontal disease
Orthodontic treatment doesn’t just improve the aesthetics of a smile – it works to also improve your overall bite. Braces and other orthodontic treatments can have a positive effect on your overall oral health.
Early Treatment Can Save You in the Long Run
A professional orthodontist can assess your child’s teeth and jaw to capture future dental problems. This can help avoid treatments like extractions and jaw surgery later down the track. Specialist skill is required to take advantage of these opportunities, so an experienced orthodontist is the only sensible choice of practitioner.
Your orthodontist will help you determine the proper course of action to not only give your child a more beautiful smile, but a properly functioning one, as well.
Keeping Dental Visits Positive
Having a bad experience at the dentist at a young age can often result in a fear of dental care in later years. From their very first appointment, the team at Geoffrey Wexler Orthodontist will be able to assess your child’s individual needs and find the best orthodontic solution for them, explaining the processes and treatment every step of the way.
Our team provide a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and deliver professional and experienced customer service standards. Rrest assured, your child’s teeth will be in trusted hands of Dr Geoffrey Wexler.
Book an appointment for your child to receive the best orthodontic treatment in Melbourne. Call us today or simply contact us online.
For our Toorak clinic, call (03) 9827 0188 or the Frankston clinic on (03) 9783 8577.
