An early orthodontic assessment can potentially decrease your child’s risk of crooked teeth in the future – and will ensure they receive the right treatment.

An early dental check-up or early assessment with an orthodontist can help protect your child’s teeth and may even help save you money in the long term by decreasing their risk of braces. Some of the precautions that can be taken during early orthodontic treatment is arch expansion and correction of jaw positioning with oral appliances.

Both of these treatments work in tandem to ensure your child has a healthy bite that is not disrupted by overcrowding, jaw problems including overbites, underbites and extraction.

Why is extraction necessary and how can it be prevented?

All parents generally do not want their child to have to go through removal of a tooth. Despite this extraction is a common procedure performed if overcrowding has occurred which can result in a tooth being pushed out of alignment and out of their line of teeth. This tooth may need to then be removed if it is significantly out of place. Early intervention orthodontics can decrease this risk with arch expansion which will gently and gradually expand the width of your child’s jaw – thus making room for more teeth.

Why is it better for younger patients?

The younger a patient is the easier it is to promote healthy dentition – or straight positioning and development of the teeth. This is because the jawbone and soft tissues are easier to manipulate compared to when you’re an adult or even compared to adolescence.

It’s also important to stop harmful habits like thumb sucking and mouth breathing

You may look at your child and think that thumb sucking or mouth breathing is a harmless habit that they’ll grow out of. However, a lot of people DO NOT grow out of mouth breathing which can actually be very detrimental to their dental health. Thumb sucking can also significantly hinder the growth of your child’s adult teeth by affecting the position of the baby teeth which are precursors for their permanent teeth.

How does mouth breathing affect my child?

Mouth breathing can result in a significant overbite as the lower jaw tends to drop towards the neck. This leaves the teeth unsupported by the tongue which is crucial for the development of straight teeth.

Mouth breathing can also create respiratory issues and increase your child’s risk of snoring and possible sleep apnoea.

When should my child have their first dental check-up?

Children should have their first standard dental check-up at the age of 5, and their first orthodontic check-up at the age of 7. This will ensure that not only are your child’s teeth developing well, but they are also going to look great while they develop – or at the very least decrease their risk of braces.

You can rest assured that the orthodontists at Excel Orthodontics will be able to help your child achieve a smile that they will be happy with, with minimum inconvenience to their life.

We have 4 convenient locations including a dental practice in West Lakes, Glenelg, Warradale and Nuriootpa.

Click here to contact us today or ask a question about early orthodontics.