Early Orthodontic Care is Key

Being a parent entails undertaking many responsibilities for your child, including keeping them as healthy as possible. One facet of overall health is oral or dental health. Making sure your child gets early orthodontic care helps them avoid any issues with their teeth later in life and saves you money.

How Early Orthodontia Can Help

It is recommended that children are seen for orthodontic screening at or before age 7. This timeframe will ensure that any necessary orthodontic work will be able to be implemented while they are still growing, to keep on top of any burgeoning issues. Some possible early orthodontic treatments that your doctor may recommend include:

Palatial Expander Palatial, or palate expanders, are devices that are used to carefully expand the top jaw over time. It is ideal to begin this treatment at a relatively young age while the body is still growing. The palate expander is made to stretch the two halves of the upper jaw or palate for those who need it. This stretching allows new bone to be added to the palate as it grows, giving the jaw extra space. Potential benefits of palate expanders include:

Lessening or eliminating tooth crowding
Avoiding extractions later on
Avoiding impacted teeth
Preventing excess wear and tear or abnormal bite
Early Interceptive Treatment
In some children, there are dental issues such as certain types or crossbites that benefit from early correction. Early treatment of dental issues via braces or other orthodontic devices may save your child time later, keep their teeth healthier longer, and help avoid costly or painful surgical interventions. Your orthodontist will tell you if early interceptive treatment is recommended for your child's individual needs.

Tooth Removal
Some children have baby teeth that refuse to come out or impacted ones. Removal of these teeth could be a big help to your child's future dental and oral health. It will allow proper space and positioning without the use of orthodontic devices in many cases. An experienced orthodontist will know when the ideal time for extraction is. Being conscientious of each child's growth and development helps to guide the ideal treatment timetable. Early orthodontic screening will help you to ensure that your child gets timely and effective treatment.

Orthodontics May Not Be Needed

While early screening is advised, treatment is not always needed immediately. Some children have no dental issues. Some children have burgeoning issues that need to be followed until the time is right for treatment. Some children will have issues that early orthodontic treatment will help with. Your orthodontist will explain potential treatment options.

Choose A Qualified Orthodontist

Picking the right orthodontist for your child is an important task. You want to make sure you have a qualified, experienced orthodontist that you can trust with your child's health. Working with an orthodontist who's a member of the American Association of Orthodontists is highly recommended.