Braces Treatment For Children

Do You Know When To Take Your Child To An Orthodontist?

 

Do not make the mistake of waiting too long before your child’s first orthodontic consultation! According to the American Association of Orthodontists, kids must be evaluated at the age of 7-8 years for potential problems with the teeth and jaw development.

This is because certain conditions like jaw growth problems and anterior cross bite can be identified and treated early, preventing future problems in the occlusion and facial profile of your child. Early treatment might prevent or reduce the need for complicated or surgical treatment of the malocclusion in the future, once your child’s growth is completed.

It is always better to consult your orthodontist when your child is around 8 years old. Your orthodontist will evaluate for any problem and do intervention if required. It does not mean that braces will be put right away. Conservative procedures like serial extraction of the milk teeth will be advised initially if the doctor suspects eruption problems of your permanent teeth.

Initial treatment at that age will be mostly correction of the deep bite or jaw expansion to prevent future crowding of your child’s teeth. Skeletal problems of the growing jaw will also be apparent at that age and is easier to correct at an earlier stage.

In most cases,, the upper and lower jaws stop growing once your child is 12 years old and it becomes very difficult to correct skeletal problems of jaw growth after that age!

Traditional metal or ceramic braces treatment is usually done after 12 years of age once all the permanent teeth have erupted.

 

Do you know what causes crooked teeth?

The main cause of crooked teeth are unwanted habits like thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, lip biting, nail biting and mouth breathing. Genetics can also play a role in causing dental malocclusion in children. Small size jaw with big size teeth causes crowding. Similarly, large jaw size and small teeth size can result in spacing between your kid’s teeth!

 

Do You Suspect Jaw Growth Problem in Your Kid? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Nazeer for consultation!