Why should my child need early orthodontic treatment?

When is the best time to go to thedentist?

Thereis a still-ongoing debate amongst pediatric dentists whether a child should have its first checkup and treatment already at the ages of seven to nine, or somewhat later on (as it was up until now) at the age of 11+ year old.

The earliest possible phase of treatment (a.k.a. Phase 1: at the age of eight or nine), refers to straightening the front permanent teeth which in turn creates more space for the other permanent teeth which are yet to emerge. This kind of treatment reduces the likelihood of extracting permanent teeth later on, if additional space is required. The treatment also takes care of any possible jaw-or-bite problems such as overbite, underbite, etc.

However,if the family dentist deems it attention-worthy, it may be recommended for a child to attend regular checkups even before the age of seven. One of the reasons to an early orthodontic intervention may also be a speech pathology related one.

What are the earliestsigns?

Mostobviously, the first and foremost amongst the earliest of signs would be: the appearance of crooked teeth, gaps between them or even overlapping.

Secondly, a child ought to be asked to bite all the way down whilst keeping the lips open. In case the front top teeth line up with the bottom teeth, the top protrude away from the bottom teeth, they cover more than 50% of the bottom teeth or are further-worse behind them, the child is in need of some orthodontic attention.

The third guideline would involve checking the jaw's alignment. If the jaw shifts off center, or misalignments are present – it is a reason enough to head to the dentist.

Amongst other common signs would be: early or late loss of primary teeth, difficulty in chewing or biting, mouth breathing, finger or thumb sucking habits past the age of five, speech difficulty, biting the cheek as well as protruding teeth or teeth that do not meet in a normal or, further-worse, any fashion at all.

It is also important to note that the signs mentioned here are only amongst the most common ones, and that there is a number of less obvious ones which are as good a reason to schedule an appointment as these are.

What'smore, these signs may be as subtle as to require a professional to notice them, so scheduling a routine checkup isn't at all a bad idea even if everything gives off the appearance of an absolutely dandy state.