Parents need to recognize the significance of orthodontic treatment for children to ensure they do not have any oral health or cosmetic concerns due to the alignment of their smiles. Early orthodontic treatment, often called phase I of orthodontic treatment, is a great way to discover issues within your child's developing mouth.
It helps young children who still have their primary teeth and addresses dental concerns well before turning into life-long complications. Its main goal is to correct bite irregularities and address underlying issues related to the jaw and teeth alignment before or soon after permanent teeth emerge.
When Should You Consider Early Orthodontic Treatment?
Early orthodontic treatment is a good idea to notice abnormalities with the child's jaw or teeth alignment issues. It also reduces the requirement for multiple other dental treatments at a later age. Various concerns that we usually check for include:
- Difficulty in biting or chewing
- Crowded front teeth
- Protruding teeth
- Mouth breathing or snoring
- Speech issues
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Crossbites or shifting of the jaw
- Thumb sucking after age five
Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment
For children with advanced signals of minor orthodontic irregularities, early orthodontic treatment can provide several benefits, including:
- Early orthodontic treatment and preventive dentistry ensure optimum oral health.
- Having crooked teeth can cause insecurities and a lack of confidence in children towards their smiles. Early orthodontic treatment helps children to improve and regain their confidence.
- Early identification of any critical issues in the mouth and jaw development helps avoid potential surgeries and future complications.
- An aligned jaw will enable your child to chew food quickly and correctly, which is good for their digestion and overall development.
- The unaligned jaw may result in teeth grinding, which could cause issues like bruxism, headaches, or neck pain. So we highly recommend getting it corrected through early orthodontic treatment.
- Difficulty in speaking may be linked to the growth of teeth. When teeth or jaw are not correctly aligned, it can lead to slurred speech, inability to pronounce words appropriately, etc. So correcting the teeth and jaw alignment in their developing stage can improve a child's speech.
- Thumb sucking by children may pose a much greater risk of negatively affecting teeth alignment. So it is vital to get such unhealthy oral habits treated in children.
- It is important to provide enough space for the permanent teeth to erupt correctly and guide them into a more favorable position, ensuring a beautiful smile for life.
Please reach out to our dental practice in Carlsbad, CA, to have a consultation with our dentist, Dr. Adams. Please call us at (760) 804-0080 or schedule an online consultation, and we'll guide you further.
