Some parents will never have to take their child to the orthodontist at all. If they do, it will often be towards the teenage years when your dentist spots a possible problem and gives a referral. Instead of waiting until you're told to go, it's better to simply take your kids to the orthodontist early at around six or seven years.
Here are just four reasons why.
1. Catch Problems Early
When children are still around seven years old, the jaw will still be growing, and the adult teeth will still be coming in. This means your child's mouth and jaw will be more flexible and therefore easier to treat. Your orthodontist will be able to look at how the jaw is developing, and the teeth are coming in instead of waiting to see how things turn out in a few years. Any potential problems will be caught early and dealt with more easily.
2. Correct Poor Habits
Sometimes, its issues beyond you or your child's control that lead to the need for orthodontic work, but poor oral habits often play a part. Your child might be sucking their thumb or finger, which can lead to problems such as overcrowding, overbite, crossbite and protruding front teeth, or they could be relying solely on mouth breathing. An orthodontist will usually be better able to spot those problems than a dentist. They can then recommend how your child can curb them to avoid orthodontic work in the future.
3. Reduce Treatment Times
It could be your child needs braces, a retainer, or some other kind of orthodontic work whether you bring them in as a young child or as a teenager, but it's still best to get this taken care of earlier rather than later since treatment times will usually be shorter and less invasive. Additionally, children are usually most vulnerable to self-esteem problems during their teenage years, so they'll thank you for having the orthodontic work done sooner rather than later.
4. Reduce Treatment Cost
Since orthodontic treatment is usually shorter and less invasive, or not necessary at all, if you bring your child to an orthodontist while they are still young, you could end up saving a significant sum of money. The cost of having a brace fitted now will probably be lower than the cost of having one fitted when all the adult teeth have come in, and the jaw isn't growing as fast.
For more information, contact your local orthodontics office.
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