Dental care starts at a very early age and is certainly not restricted to adults and teenagers.
Aside from general dentistry and regular check-ups to ensure teeth remain healthy, orthodontics is sometimes required to correct problems.
Orthodontics for children is often even more important as kids are still growing and developing, and the future of their adult teeth can largely depend on the dental care they receive as a child.
Let’s take a closer look at orthodontics in dental care and when your child might need the specialist care of an orthodontist.
If you’re looking for a quality orthodontist in New Zealand, find one by searching online for your area. For example, “Hamilton orthodontics”.
What Is Orthodontics?
The specialist dental treatment of orthodontics primarily deals with teeth that are misaligned. The term comes from a combination of 2 Greek words – “Orthos” means to straighten or correct, whereas “dontics” is the word for teeth.
An orthodontist is a specialist dentist that focuses on correcting teeth alignment issues, irregular bite patterns, and issues with the jaw and face due to a problem with the teeth.
Just as you have general practitioners and specialists in the medical profession, the same applies to dentistry.
You’ll have dentists that perform general dentistry, such as check-ups, teeth cleaning, extractions, and fillings and then there are specialists such as an orthodontist.
Orthodontics is restricted to correcting teeth alignment problems and is also designed to improve aesthetic appearances, which will also increase a person’s self-confidence, something that is very important for a child or an adult.
Orthodontic Dental Treatment for Children – When Might Your Child Need Orthodontic Care?
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Let’s now look at some situations where your child may require orthodontic dental care.
- Crowded Teeth
On occasion, a child’s teeth can end up being too big for the size of their mouth. There is no rhyme or reason for this. It’s just something that can happen.
Something needs to be done about it to correct the problem when it does. Not only will the appearance of crowded teeth be unsightly, but it can also lead to the inadequate ability to bite effectively.
Often, it’s the upper canine teeth that can cause overcrowding, and your orthodontist can come up with a solution to resolve the over-crowding issue.
- Unnatural Spacing Between the Teeth
Not only can unnatural spacing between the teeth look unattractive, but it can also make biting and eating more difficult as a result.
In children, if this condition isn’t corrected by an orthodontist, smaller, missing, or poorly developed teeth can be the outcome, and that’s not something any child or parent wants.
- Correct the Cross Bite
If the teeth end does not meet, this results in a crossbite situation, ultimately very ineffective. Apart from appearances, it can erode teeth and have an inefficient ability to chew correctly. An orthodontist will know how to correct a crossbite in a child or adult.
- Over Bite or Under Bite
If the top line of teeth and the bottom line of teeth don’t align properly, this will result in either an overbite or an underbite, neither of which is particularly efficient for biting and chewing food. From a visual point of view, it won’t look attractive either and could even worsen with age.
Therefore, an overbite or underbite needs to be corrected by an orthodontist at an early age. Another possibility is gum or palate damage as a consequence of this condition. Tooth wear, tooth loss, and gum disease can also result from an overbite or an underbite.
- What Is an Open Bite
If the lower and upper teeth do not touch, it’s referred to as an open bite. The consequence of an open bite is an inability to chew properly.
Not only is this inconvenient, but it can also result in the stomach having to work overtime to digest poorly chewed food.
- Increased or Reverse Overjet
An increased overjet is when the upper teeth protrude. Sometimes it’s a result of a child sucking their thumb or a consequence of uneven jawbone growth. If the bottom jaw protrudes beyond the upper, this is called a reverse overjet.
Not only doesn’t it look particularly attractive, but worn teeth can also be the result if an orthodontist does not correct it.
- The Benefits of Orthodontics for Children
For starters, the obvious benefits are aesthetic, and it’s important to correct dental abnormalities at an early age. Most vital, though, are the benefits of chewing adequately, less tooth wear, and the health of gums and the palate in general.
The Takeaway:
If your child is suffering from any of the above dental issues, you must seek the expert advice of an orthodontist, so these issues can be corrected at a young age.
About The Author:
Craig Evans is a finance fanatic and tech junkie based in Sydney, Australia. He likes to impart his knowledge and insights on the latest business industry news on his blog Curious Vision.
