Most children have some adult teeth by the time they are 7 years old. Hence, various dental bodies and associations recommend evaluation of children's teeth by an orthodontist during this age. Early diagnosis and treatment of orthodontic problems can help in reducing dental complications faced later in life.
An early orthodontic examination may be required if your child faces the following problems:
- Biting or chewing problems
- Breathing through the mouth
- Thumb or finger sucking
- Blocked, misplaced or crowded teeth
- Generation of sound while opening or closing jaws
- Disproportionately placed teeth and jaws
- Late or early baby teeth loss
If orthodontic-related problems are detected in preteens, early orthodontic treatment can effectively simplify and resolve these issues in a short period of time. Treatment strategies include:
- Guiding permanent tooth eruption into the correct position
- Guiding growth of jaw and width of dental arches
- Correcting bad dental habits such as thumb or finger sucking
- Solving speech problems or pronunciations
- Reducing trauma risk to the protruded front teeth
- Improving personal appearance and smile
Your orthodontist may examine the oral cavity, order X-rays for detailed evaluation and recommend treatment based on the particular problem. Treatment options include:
- Braces for correcting crooked teeth, bad bite or misalignment
- Space maintainers to keep the space of a missing tooth open for easy positioning of erupting adult teeth
- Expanders to widen jaws
