It is common to see children in their teens undergoing orthodontic treatment, but did you know that children as young as 6 or 7 can benefit from it?
Why would my child need early intervention orthodontics?
At the ages of 6 and 7, the teeth are still developing and the jaw is not fully grown. A dentist at this time can address certain problems before they become more of an issue in later years. Because the bones are still growing it is an ideal time to evaluate a child to determine the treatment that can start now, and establish a future treatment plan.
8 signs that your child may benefit from seeing an orthodontist at an early age:
- Early, late or irregular loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty in chewing or biting
- Mouth breathing
- Protruding teeth
- Thumb sucking beyond the age of 5
- Underbite or overbite
- Crowded, crooked or misplaced teeth
- Jaws and teeth that are out of proportion to the rest of the face
Modern technology means improved look braces
If you go back a few decades there were many metal smiles as children had fixed heavy braces. Technology has evolved and manufacturers today are attempting to make metal braces more appealing to children. This can be through ‘personalising’ the elastics and generally being more comfortable and less visible. It is now very common to see children with metal braces that people barely notice.
There is also the option, in certain cases, of using ‘invisible braces’ if you have a very self-conscious teen. This involves wearing aligners which are removed when eating. The fact they are removable means you can eat, drink, brush and floss more naturally. They do need to be worn approximately 22 hours a day so the wearer does need to be very diligent in making sure they put them in.
Your dentist will be able to advise which option works best for your children. The dentists at Dental on George are trained with post-graduate expertise in all facets of orthodontic treatment for all ages, including facial and skeletal manipulations for optimal cosmetic solutions.
