The Importance of Early Orthodontic Treatment

You will be surprised how early orthodontic treatment, including teeth straightening, can solve childhood dental problems. Crooked teeth, overcrowding, and tooth decay are some of the issues children face early in life. These days, parents have finally realized the importance of proper dental health. They know how it can affect the kids’ well-being.

What are teeth straightening and early orthodontic treatment?

Teeth straightening is done on people with malocclusion. This is a condition wherein either the upper or lower jaw is more prominent. Kids with crooked, overcrowded, and overlapping teeth also need braces. This orthodontic treatment is the most popular out of all methods done by a pediatric dentist. However, misaligned teeth are not the only reason kids need early orthodontic treatment.

Early intervention

Early orthodontic treatment is the dental care for kids younger than 7 years old. It is also called early interceptive treatment. The procedure consists of using orthodontic appliances to correct dental problems. It has to be done before all permanent teeth appear. Of course, adults can still fix many dental problems. However, it is more challenging to do because of the more permanent structure of the jaw.

Develop underlying bones

Early intervention is done to develop underlying bones. These are the same bones that support the teeth. They also provide adequate space for the permanent teeth to grow. These procedures should be done early in the kids’ lives when their bones and jaws are still flexible. As such, that gives the kids more time to adjust to the orthodontic appliances attached to the teeth.

Lower risk of tooth decay

Straight teeth are easier to clean and floss than uneven and crooked teeth. With the latter, kids will have a harder time maintaining good dental hygiene. After all, crooked teeth allow bacteria to hide between the teeth. Parents need to make sure that the kids have straight teeth to clean hard-to-reach areas. Teeth straightening will not only prevent severe problems in adulthood. It will also reduce the chances of simple tooth decay.

Helps with speaking

Teeth problems can also cause difficulty in speaking. When the jaws are not properly aligned, that will cause the kids to have speech difficulties. The most common speech problems are lisping and mispronouncing certain letters such as “S” and “T”. To ensure that these would not be a problem into adulthood, kids can start wearing braces to align their teeth and jaws.

Reduces risk of teeth grinding

Kids are not usually aware of teeth grinding since many do it at night. An unaligned jaw likely causes this condition. However, it affects more than the structure of the jaw and the development of the teeth. Teeth grinding can also cause headaches and neck pain. Teeth straightening, or the use of elastics and braces, will help shift the jaw back to its place. It will also reduce discomfort.