All a parent wishes for upon their child is healthy wellbeing. But, how can we predetermine if they’ll need orthodontics?
It’s true! We all want our children to live a healthy, happy life but not being able to know the key factors that may determine extensive orthodontic work can put a worry in our minds.
At Smart Smile Orthodontics in Brisbane, our experienced team are dedicated to not only providing patients of all ages with personalised, exceptional treatment and results but also educating the little ones and their parents along the way.
Continue reading to find out what key habits and factors you can keep an eye on that may indicate orthodontic intervention…
Thumb Sucking
That’s right! As simple as a habit of thumb sucking may sound, prolonged thumb sucking past the age of 2-4 years old can result in jaw and teeth misalignment. While this issue can be corrected through braces down the line, intercepting the problem before it gets worse is always a good idea.
Early or Late Loss of Baby Teeth
Early or late loss of baby teeth is a common indicator of orthodontic problems down the line. Naturally, baby teeth are usually supposed to come in between the ages of 1-3 years of age. Once they have fully erupted, they will start to loosen and fall out around the age of 6 years old.
By the time your child is now in their prime adolescence, around 12-13 years old, all if not most of their baby teeth will have fallen out leaving a nice space for their adult teeth to have come through.
However, if your child’s baby teeth begin to fall out much earlier than expected or do not budge at all when they are supposed to fall out naturally, this could indicate a common oral development issue that requires braces and orthodontic intervention.
Crowded or Irregular Teeth Alignment
If your child’s teeth are crooked or are very crowded, meaning they may be overlapping one another, this is a sign that your child may require orthodontic treatment.
For example, crowded teeth (teeth that overlap each other), may be a sign that the child’s palate (roof of their mouth) is too narrow resulting in not enough space for their teeth to sit naturally. The suitable orthodontic treatment for this instance would be a palatal expander and braces for realignment.
Problems with Chewing or Biting
If you have noticed your child is having difficulty chewing their food adequately or biting down, they may require orthodontic early intervention. Signs of chewing difficulty may include food that is still in the mouth or falls out of the mouth while chewing, or slow and insufficient eating and chewing.
If you’d like to check yourself if your child’s bite is aligned correctly, check to see if their teeth are aligned with each other and symmetrical on the upper and lower jaw. This is generally a good sign that your child’s bite is healthy.
If you’re still concerned about your child’s chewing habits or bite, contact our team today to see if there’s an underlying issue.
Orthodontics Options for Children
Fortunately, the days of waiting patiently for all the adult teeth to come through before orthodontic treatment are over. Prior to early intervention treatment, we needed to stand by and watch our little ones with orthodontic issues wait until all of their adult teeth erupted.
While early intervention treatment isn’t entirely going to solve their issues, the earlier treatment is more so aimed at encouraging adult teeth to come through and sit in better positions. Ultimately, this will lessen the amount of orthodontic work your child will require at an older age…and they’ll thank you for it!
While it may be a few months or even years before we can expect to see all the adult teeth set in place, the Smart Smile Orthodontics team offer a wide range of early intervention treatments and will make arrangements to see you for regular no-charge reviews over this period.
Child Orthodontics Consultation in Brisbane
If you’d like to learn more about orthodontics for kids or would like to discover how it may benefit your child, get in touch online. Alternatively, to book your consultation with one of our exceptional orthodontists, call our Strathpine practice on 07 3889 8355 or our Ferny Grove practice on 07 3851 0666 today!
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