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Bring Your Child to the
Orthodontist Early |
| By Kristen R. Lundquist, DDS St. Paul, MN |
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The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children first see an orthodontist at seven years of age. We agree that for some children this may seem too young, but for children with crowding, finger or thumb habits, crossbites or other alignment problems it can be very advantageous.
Children with permanent teeth, which are unable to erupt due to crowding, can benefit from serial extractions. This is a procedure where the orthodontist recommends early removal of some deciduous teeth to borrow space for permanent teeth to erupt and/or align slightly on their own. This may prevent future problems such as resorption of the permanent teeth and may decrease future time in braces.
When young children begin to lose their front deciduous or baby teeth, they are replaced with larger permanent teeth. Children with no spacing or crowding of the deciduous teeth tend to have the crowding worsen as more permanent teeth erupt. Fortunately, this reverses as teeth toward the back of the mouth are lost and replaced with permanent teeth, which are smaller. By starting full orthodontic treatment at a time when the back deciduous teeth are soon to be lost, the space gained by the smaller permanent teeth is used to unravel the crowding in the front. In moderately crowded cases, if orthodontic treatment is not started at the optimal time, the permanent molars drift forward using up the extra space and potentially making the removal of permanent teeth necessary to correct the crowding problem. In severely crowded cases, permanent teeth may need to be extracted regardless of the timing of treatment.
Children with thumb/finger habits or severely protrusive teeth may benefit from an interceptive or preliminary treatment, and/or counseling to aid in the cessation of the habit. Often, the mere cessation of the habit enables teeth to settle back into the position they would have been in if there had never been a habit.
Crossbites occur when the upper teeth erupt to the inside of the lower teeth. This is an abnormal position for the teeth and can cause trauma to the teeth and supporting structures if not corrected early.
Becoming accustomed to an orthodontist, the office and the staff can also alleviate anxiety when it comes time to start orthodontic treatment. The patients and parents have a better idea of what to expect for treatment and the parents often have an idea of how payment schedules work and can look into insurance coverage if that is an option.
If you notice a problem with your child’s teeth or if your general dentist recommends you bring them to an orthodontist when they seem too young, it is in your best interest to make the appointment. The cost for these early appointments is minimal to none so what have you got to lose?
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