When people want to straighten their teeth, they usually get braces. You might be aware of how confident a bright, beautiful smile can make you feel, but did you know there are also many other reasons why orthodontics is important for your oral health?
Braces offer many benefits beyond just a beautiful smile. A properly aligned mouth and teeth can help prevent your child from developing a wide range of problems, including problems with chewing and tooth decay. We’ll tell you when to get braces for your child and why working with a kids dentist las vegas is crucial to improving their overall oral health.
The Signs That Your Child Needs Orthodontics
The need for braces is not universal. Getting regular dental checkups is a simple way to determine if your child needs orthodontic treatment. As your child’s teeth and jaw grow, your child’s dentist will be able to spot any abnormalities through visual examinations and dental x-rays.
Another way to tell if your child needs orthodontic treatment is to watch for signs. Your child should see their dentist if they experience any of the following symptoms:
- Early, late, or irregular tooth loss
- Having trouble chewing or biting
- Overcrowding, crookedness, or blocked teeth
- A jaw that is too large for its face
- Jaws that shift or make noise when moved
- Biting cheeks or lips
- Breathing continuously through the mouth rather than the nose
- Teeth that are crooked or don’t touch at all
The first orthodontic screening for your child should be done by the age of seven, even if they do not exhibit obvious symptoms. Orthodontists can detect problems that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Braces are one of the most common orthodontic treatment options, but you can discuss your child’s options with the orthodontist. Depending on your child’s needs, they can recommend when to get braces or other treatment.
Healthy Teeth from Orthodontics Treatment
Crowding is one of the main reasons that orthodontics is important. Parental decision-making about whether to have their children get braces is largely based on this factor. In short, crowding is what it sounds like; your child’s teeth start getting crowded because there isn’t enough room in their mouth.
Aside from the imperfections in your child’s smile, there are even more compelling reasons to seek orthodontic treatment for crowding. A child’s condition will worsen as they age if the crowding is not treated. Your child will have a more difficult time performing even the most basic pediatric oral hygiene tasks as crowding gets worse.
Crowding can make it difficult to brush some of the teeth and maneuver floss between them. Due to this inability to properly clean teeth, your child’s teeth will accumulate plaque that can lead to tooth decay, bad breath, gum disease, and bone loss around the affected teeth.
With braces, crowding can be treated fairly easily, but it’s important to begin treatment as soon as it’s noticed. It is less likely that crowding will negatively affect your child’s oral health if they receive treatment early.
Correcting abnormal bites in Orthodontics
Orthodontics may be necessary even if your child’s teeth seem straight. Children with an abnormal bite are also at risk for orthodontic treatment. Overbite, underbite, crossbite, and open bite are all examples of abnormal bites. A child’s abnormal bite refers to the way their teeth appear when their jaw is closed. Each of these types of abnormal bites can negatively affect your child’s oral health, which is why orthodontic treatment can correct them.
An overbite occurs when the front teeth overlap the bottom teeth vertically and horizontally. Depending on their severity, overbites are most noticeable when the front teeth protrude farther than the front teeth.
Leaving overbites untreated increases the risk of traumatizing the front teeth and the likelihood of fractures if an accident occurs. An untreated overbite may also cause complications or a shorter lifespan for restorative dental treatments such as crowns.
The upper front teeth of a child with an underbite are completely behind the lower front teeth. Children with disproportionately large jaws are more likely to have this type of bite. Untreated underbites can cause a disproportional facial appearance, accelerated facial ageing, and difficulty biting and chewing.
The upper front teeth of your child are below the bottom front teeth of the opposite side. When a crossbite is left untreated, it can lead to numerous problems, including excessive wear, fracturing, increased gum recession, and an inability to restore worn/fractured teeth. Abnormal jaw growth can also be caused by it. The upper and lower front teeth of your child do not touch if they have an open bite. A lisp can develop if this condition is left untreated.
In conclusion
Your child’s teeth aren’t the only thing you should consider when determining when to get braces. In addition to crowding, less obvious issues like abnormal bites can still cause a whole host of health issues from tooth decay to jaw abnormalities to difficulty eating. To make an informed choice about your child’s orthodontic treatment, you should know why orthodontics are so important to their oral health. Make an appointment with The kids’ dentist of las vegas today if your child is ready for an orthodontic consultation.