How to tell if your child needs orthodontic treatment?

Providing orthodontic treatment for your kids is one of the biggest responsibilities of a parent. Keep in mind that in some cases, the sooner they get them, the easier their teeth will be fixed. Failure to do so may cause a series of issues in the future, ranging from actual oral health problems all the way to issues with heir own self-confidence. The problem, however, lies in the fact that not all kids need orthodontic treatment. So, how do you tell apart which kids do need it? Here are five simple indicators to help you figure this one out.

1. Their jaw position is misaligned

The first warning sign that your child may need orthodontic treatment is the fact that they have a misaligned jaw position. This is something that any parent can spot early on by just visually examining their child. Because this increases the likelihood of overbites, crossbites and underbites, chances are that it may cause a larger problem in the long run. Still, this doesn’t mean that they need treatment with 100% reliability. It just means that there’s a higher risk of such a thing.

2. They lost their baby teeth quite early

Kids that lose their baby teeth early need to undergo an examination that will explain this phenomenon. Sure, everyone is different but sometimes and early loss of baby teeth might happen due to tooth decay. Therefore, the use of braces would be necessary in order to prevent the rest of their teeth from tipping into the empty space. A failure to do so might cause crowded or crooked teeth problems, later on. Speaking of which…

3. Crowded or crooked teeth

Crowded or crooked teeth are the number one reason why children may need orthodontic treatment. The problem lies in the fact that there are degrees to this and things progress exponentially. If you leave this for long enough time unattended, they might develop problems breathing, chewing and biting their lips and develop an even greater irregular teeth alignment problem. The thing about this particular issue is the fact that it’s the most intuitive and the hardest to miss.

4. Prolonged thumb sucking

Another indicator that you might need to look for orthodontic treatment for your kid is the fact that they’re sucking on their thumb for longer than normal. In medical terms, this is past 7-8 months of age. Some kids, nonetheless, keep doing so until they’re 4 years old (or even older). This can cause the protrusion of teeth outward. In this scenario, the best thing to do is to get braces for your kid. The sooner the parent recognizes this, the better. Finding a suitable specialist in orthodontics for children is a high priority.

5. Gaps and spaces

The fact that teeth are too narrowly packed is the first indicator that your child may need braces but the fact that they have spaces or gaps between them can be just as indicative. This is due to the fact that their teeth may move in different directions just because there’s space. Later on, this may cause problems with speech or food trappings. The latter can significantly lower their overall dental hygiene or make its maintenance somewhat harder. Even gaps between their primary teeth can be an indicator of a serious subsequent problem.

In conclusion

The very last thing worth bearing in mind is the fact that your child really needs orthodontic treatment isn’t something that a lot of parents notice in time. This isn’t always due to their lack of interest. Sometimes, they just don’t know how to recognize this need. At other times, they might not know how early they should go for this treatment. Also, there are several behaviour patterns that can be fixed in order to avoid this (like thumb sucking). All in all, getting informed on the subject matter is definitely the first step on this journey of a thousand miles.