Do Kids Need Braces?
Your children deserve straight and healthy teeth. That’s why Smile First Pediatric Dentistry is an important part of early dental care for young children. With interceptive orthodontics, The doctor is able to identify and treat problems that left untreated at this stage may require more extensive treatment if postponed until a later date.
When Do You Know Your Child Needs Braces?
Smile First Pediatric Dentistry identifies children’s teeth that are coming in crooked or crowded usually by the age of 7. If early treatment is indicated, the doctor can provide pediatric dental treatment to begin correcting problems this can reduce the time and sometimes eliminate the need for braces later on. In the past corrective dentistry was not used until the age of 10 to 12 years of age and involved braces.
By age 7, most children have a mix of baby (primary) and adult (permanent) teeth so now is the best time with to begin to correct problems such as dental crowding, too much space between teeth, protruding teeth and extra or missing teeth and sometimes jaw growth problems.
A bad bite develops over time and left untreated until later in life typically requires more extensive dental work. The causes can be any number of things thumb- or finger-sucking, mouth-breathing, dental disease, abnormal swallowing, poor dental hygiene, the early or late loss of baby teeth, accidents or poor nutrition. Whatever the cause, The doctor is usually able to treat most conditions successfully.
Why see an Pediatric Dentist?
Pediatric Dentists like ours are trained to spot subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present. The advantage for patients of early detection of orthodontic problems is that some problems may be easier to correct if they are found and treated early. Waiting until all the permanent teeth have come in, or until facial growth is nearly complete, may make correction of some problems more difficult. In some cases even if a problem is detected, our doctor will take a “wait-and-see” approach, and check your child regularly as the permanent teeth come in and the jaws and face continue to grow. Our doctor, will know when the ideal time for her to begin dental treatment is necessary to ensure the best results. Our doctor’s goal is to provide each child with the most appropriate treatment at the most appropriate time.
Benefits of early treatment
In some cases, The doctor might find something that can benefit from early treatment. Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated. Some earlier treatable conditions include:
- Guide jaw growth
- Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- Correct harmful oral habits
- Improve appearance and self-esteem