Early child orthodontics now may save your child time, money, and pain later. In fact, orthodontic treatment as a child can help prevent tooth extraction as an adult. If you have a child around the age of 7 or 8, here are some signs that he might need orthodontic care early.
Signs That Your Child Might Need Early Orthodontic Care
Part of the duty of a children’s dentist is to be on the lookout for signs that a child may need early orthodontic care. Throughout your time with us, we document how the teeth, jaw and mouth are forming. If any of the following signs or conditions are present, it is important to seek orthodontic counsel:
- Teeth Emerging Incorrectly – By age 7, all of the front teeth (incisors) and permanent first molars should be erupted in the mouth. If there isn’t enough space in the mouth, teeth might become impacted, causing structural problems all over the mouth. Teeth may come in crooked or impacted teeth may cause straight teeth to turn crooked. With early orthodontic care, we can find impacted teeth and help structure the mouth so all the teeth fit and no permanent problems occur later in life.
- Open Bite – Thumbsucking is a big culprit when it comes to an open bite. Tongue thrusting and chewing on non-food items can cause it as well. With an open bite, the upper and lower front teeth don’t line up when the mouth is closed, resulting in a gap between the two rows of teeth. This can cause speech impediments and lisps, slanted teeth and a more crooked smile.
- Crossbite – This could be a shifting of the jaw when your child opens or closes their mouth. With a correct bite, teeth should match up, with the upper teeth resting slightly above the lower teeth when the mouth is closed. With a cross bite, some of the teeth will also be slanted towards the gum and their opposing teeth will be slanted more towards the tongue instead of straight. You basically get different angles of teeth with a crossbite, making chewing more difficult and leading to stress on the jaw muscles, causing headaches and other symptoms.
- Deep Bite – With a deep bite, the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth and some of your teeth make contact with the gum tissue in your mouth and upper arch. Teeth should rest together and be almost perfectly on top of each other (without touching the gums) in a correct bite.
- Jaw Problems – If the jaw is misaligned, it is critical to correct it early, as the jaw bones will harden and stop growing around age 13, which is when many adolescents have braces. That is why correcting the jaw early is the best thing you can do for your child, as surgery is usually needed to break and realign the jaw into the correct position as an adolescent or adult. As a child, it is much easier to correct without the surgery.
- Crowding – Sometimes the arch of the mouth is too narrow to fit all of the teeth. This may cause teeth to come in crooked or turn, which will reduce their strength and structure (and can make them harder to clean). We also see a problem with large gaps between teeth in children, but both crowding and gaps can be corrected with orthodontic treatment.
- Missing Teeth – Sometimes a child will lose a baby tooth, but an adult tooth does not grow in its place. This is usually an inherited trait and usually needs to be corrected with a dental implant so that proper tooth and jaw functioning is not disrupted.
- Thumbsucking – Thumbsucking should end at least by age 5 when your child first starts to lose their baby teeth. Thumb sucking after this age could abnormally shift the adult teeth out of line and cause an open bite. There are orthodontic appliances for thumbsucking (such as a little appliance placed behind the front teeth) that is sure to end thumbsucking so teeth come in correctly.
- Speech Impediments – This could be a sign that one or more teeth are misaligned, causing the issue. Schedule an appointment with the orthodontist to check all the teeth for alignment and bite issues.
Schedule an Orthodontic Evaluation by the Age of Seven
The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children receive their first orthodontic evaluation by the time they are seven. Most children will still have the majority of their baby teeth at this time. However, many others will already have some adult teeth.
While often children will not need to have orthodontic treatment before they are seven, an orthodontic evaluation ensures that. Oral issues like cross, deep, or open bites, crowding, missing teeth, and teeth not emerging correctly in the mouth necessitate orthodontic intervention.
Our Li’l Smiles Dentistry staff are trained to identify bite issues, predict how your child’s teeth will grow, and determine if early orthodontic treatment is needed before adolescent orthodontic treatment.
Learn the benefits of early orthodontic treatment and how Dr. Botero can help your child’s mouth be the healthiest it can be for years to come.
Early Child Orthodontics
Early orthodontic treatment for children is usually known as “phase one” treatment that occurs between 7 and 9 years old before “phase two” begins in adolescents. Our team works to identify any abnormalities we can find at an early age to provide preventative treatment and correction to bites and other issues. Even at the very early ages of 2 and 3 years old, we can begin to see incorrect bites forming in children. This early detection is key in correcting them.
What Early Orthodontics Can Do For You
Our office, in collaboration with your orthodontist, can work together to prevent the progression of orthodontic issues before they become severe in adolescence. Early child orthodontics can:
- Guide incoming teeth into the correct position in the mouth before teeth mature.
- Detect hidden dental problems (especially in the back of the mouth where it’s harder to see).
- Monitor the progress of incoming adult teeth.
- Monitor the progress of facial and jaw development, which is critical to reducing the need for jaw surgery in adolescence.
- Reduce the risk of tooth extractions.
- Reduce the risk of impacted teeth.
- Reduce the time your child will need braces as an adolescent.
- Correct bite and jaw problems before they become severe in adolescence.
Call for an Early Child Orthodontics Consultation
Learn more about the advantages of early child orthodontics. Orthodontic care when young boosts the confidence a child has with their smile. Call us today at (813) 576-0200 to schedule your appointment or to learn more about early orthodontic care.