Taking your child for early orthodontic treatments can help intercept potential jaw and tooth issues that may cause complications if left untreated. Mouth breathing, biting or chewing difficulties, and loss of baby teeth before the appropriate age signal the need for your child to undergo orthodontic treatment. Here are a few ways an early visit to a professional orthodontist will benefit your child:
Oral Health
Orthodontic specialists understand how to recognize possible malocclusions of the teeth in children, which include crowding, bite issues, and jaw developmental deviations. These forms of misalignment hinder a child’s upper and lower teeth from fitting correctly when biting. Detecting and correcting these problems early in children can help prevent other oral health issues, such as cavities, gum disease, and unusual enamel erosion.
Early orthodontic treatment may also enhance your child’s oral health by minimizing the risk of dental injury or trauma. If your child has protruding teeth, an orthodontist can reposition them correctly, helping lower the risk of fractures or chipping. Well-aligned teeth will also enable your child to maintain good oral hygiene, as they can easily brush and floss correctly.
Facial Symmetry
Bite issues, such as crossbites, overbites, and underbites, may contribute to the uneven development of a child’s jaw. This occurs when the upper and lower jaws become misaligned due to strain on the soft tissues or muscles. When an orthodontist corrects your child’s malocclusions, it improves the muscle activity in their jaws. This helps reduce the uneven pressure during biting, aligning the teeth and jaws more effectively. As a result of better biting balance, your child’s facial proportions may gradually become more balanced, leading to a more symmetrical appearance.
Tooth Growth
Early and correct alignment of developing teeth and jaws can help lower the risk of impacted teeth in the future. This means your child may be less likely to need braces or oral surgical treatments in their later life stages. An orthodontist uses specialized oral function appliances, such as expanders, to gently guide how a child’s jaw grows. If your child’s permanent teeth start growing abruptly, early orthodontic treatment can help create adequate space for their growth. Enough space allows permanent teeth to move into their correct positions, lowering the risk of overcrowding or the need for tooth extractions in adolescence.
Speech Patterns
When jaws are misaligned, the normal tongue placement and airflow are restricted, causing speech and breathing difficulties. Early orthodontic treatment for children with malocclusions helps guide the jaw into healthier positions, making these functions easier. During this treatment, a specialist can expand the arch of a narrow upper jaw to improve how the air flows through the nose. Correcting jaw imbalances or crowded teeth can create more space in the airway, which may help reduce snoring.
Visit an Orthodontist Today
Early orthodontic treatments for children can help correct malocclusions that increase the risk of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, gum disease, or speech and chewing difficulties. Orthodontic practitioners utilize treatments like palatal expanders and partial braces to improve teeth and jaw alignment in children. If your child has shifting jaws, protruding front teeth, or other signs of malocclusions, schedule an orthodontic appointment today.
