Once your child’s adult teeth come in, you can tell if they’re misaligned or crooked, and if they cause any problems with your child’s bite. If that’s the case, it’s pretty easy to tell that they’re going to need braces. Rather than waiting until those adult teeth fully arrive, there’s a way to correct certain issues with your child’s facial development beforehand. Here we explain interceptive orthodontics in Lakewood and whether or not your child might make a good candidate.
What Are Interceptive Orthodontics?
We use interceptive orthodontics to help guide your child’s teeth at an early stage when their teeth are still erupting. Interceptive orthodontics helps correct abnormal bites and resolve teeth crowding issues. It’s also used as an early form of intervention to help your child’s teeth and mouth develop as it should. Your Lakewood dentist will examine your child’s mouth to determine which method for treatment is best.
What Types of Things Does a Dentist Look For?
Your Lakewood dentist looks for some common signs to determine if interceptive orthodontics are a good fit for your child, including:
- Loss of primary teeth due to tooth decay or injury
- Issues with speaking, chewing, or biting properly
- By the age of 7, your child is showing signs of crowding or misalignment
- Protruding front teeth
- Noticeable underbite, overbite or crossbite
- Misaligned bite when your child closes their mouth
Your interceptive orthodontics dentist will keep an eye on your child’s development at their annual checkups, noting any of the above issues.
What Are the Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment?
There are many benefits to getting early interceptive orthodontic treatment, including:
- Avoiding Life-Long Problems: When you have interceptive orthodontic treatment for your child early on, you can help them avoid issues that could affect them for life. Spotting critical problems early on can affect the mouth’s and jaw’s development. As these problems progress, by the time your child reaches adulthood they could require far more difficult treatments, such as surgery, or experience complications that can affect the way they look, bite, speak and chew.
- Increased Confidence: When your child receives treatment early enough, they can enjoy the confidence that comes from a perfect smile, as well as the ability to speak clearly. While it might seem odd that teeth affects speech, when your child’s teeth or jaw is misaligned, it can interfere with his or her ability to pronounce certain letters. It can even cause a lisp.
- Reduced Risk for Tooth Decay: Your child can enjoy improved dental health as orthodontic treatments can reduce the risk for tooth decay. Issues such as overlaps, gaps, crowding, and bite issues can make a child more prone to decay because they can’t brush their teeth or floss as effectively. Or, they may be mouth breathing.
- Improved Digestion: Straight teeth, in hand with a properly aligned jaw, makes it easier for your child to chew. This in turn assists with healthier digestion.
- Less Risk for Grinding Teeth: Children with misaligned jaws are more prone to teeth grinding. This can lead to other issues including neck pain and headaches.
- Bad Oral Habits: Braces can help break kids of bad oral habits such as nail-biting and thumb sucking.
- Guides for Permanent Teeth: Braces in Lakewood, CO can also help guide adult teeth into the right position. As a result, your child will have an improved smile and also enjoy a healthy bite and alignment.
Schedule your next appointment with Dr. Elizabeth Turner here and she’ll get to know you and evaluate your unique needs.
To learn more about our pediatric dental services, visit this page here.
