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Who Needs Orthodontics...
What About Your Child? |
| By Douglas T. Jonak, DDS Blaine, MN |
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The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that age 7 is a good time for the first visit to an orthodontist, or even earlier if a problem is noted by either the parents or the family dentist.
The Following Early Warning Signs May Indicate That Your Child Needs to See an Orthodontic Specialist:
- Overlapping or crowding teeth.
- A developing underbite, overbite or other abnormal bite development.
- Early or late loss of teeth.
- Difficulty in chewing/biting.
- Misaligned teeth resulting from thumb/finger sucking.
Benefits of Early Diagnosis
Recognizing an orthodontic problem at an early age does not always result in early treatment. After evaluating your child, the orthodontist may simply want to check your child periodically while the permanent teeth are erupting and the jaw and face continue to grow. An early examination allows the orthodontic specialist to determine how and when a child’s particular problem should be treated for maximum improvement, requiring the least amount of time and providing the greatest benefit. With some patients, early treatment achieves results that are unattainable once the face and jaw have finished growing.
More than Beautiful Smiles
Every parent wants his or her child to have a beautiful smile – and every child should have a healthy smile with properly functioning teeth. Our goal as orthodontists is to achieve both for our patients. A child’s self-confidence almost always increases when his or her smile is improved. This also has an impact on the perceptions of those around the child-parents, siblings, teachers, and other children. Successful treatment can lead to greater success in all areas of the child’s life. In short, the value of a beautiful, healthy smile should not be underestimated.
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