Is It Time To Brace Yourself For the Child’s Everchanging Teeth?

While some children look forward to braces as it is the stepping stone to the next stage of their life towards teenagehood. 

Other children dread it as their looks and post appearances come into calling by their peers. Regardless of the good and bad reviews around braces, it is the best option for a parent to make for their child’s overall oral health.

Signs To Watch Out For

Braces can be used to help correct any abnormality in a child’s growing phase, such as crooked, overlapping, and overcrowded teeth. In some cases, a child might have a ‘bad bite’ or also known as malocclusions. This occurs when the top and bottom jaw vary in size. If the top jaw is bigger than the lower jaw, it is considered to be an overbite. You can guess what an underbite might be with regards to the previous statement.

Another sign to schedule a trip to a child orthodontist is the early loss of your child’s baby teeth. If permanent teeth grow to crowd the baby teeth, this might call for surgery to rectify the overcrowding in the set of teeth. Accidents and habits like thumb sucking could also lead to such results, so it is always a good idea to keep an eye on your child’s teeth early on. 

It can be said that if you in your adolescence had braces, this could be inherited by your children as well. Going through the whole ordeal before, it would be known exactly how to handle the situation for your children.

Recommended: When Your Child Might Need Orthodontic Treatment

When Is A Good Time

Your child’s dentist will be the first person to notice any problems in your child’s teeth. It happens mostly during the first visit. It is recommended to ask for an orthodontist as they specialize in correcting jaws and/or teeth alignment problems. They would definitely have the best consultation on how or if your child requires braces. 

There is no set age to start going to a child orthodontist, some go when they are 6, while others when they are 10. It mainly depends on the condition of the child’s teeth. Generally, people go when their child’s permanent teeth have set in. Problems arise like overcrowding and an uneven bite. In some rare cases, newborns have also had to get braces, but this was because of cleft palate or facial anomaly. 

Some people might think waiting till their teens would be better but that entails problems of their own. More extensive treatments are required for a teen when issues are left to persist as a child. In some cases, teeth will have to be extracted before braces can be laid in. Problems are easier to correct as a child when treatments are started early. 

Some late starters have had to keep their braces on for longer as compared to children who started their treatments earlier.

Starting the process early would not mean your child gets braces earlier. A child orthodontist would have a better idea of the issues and would be able to tell you when the best time to start treatments would be.