Tell-Tale Signs That Should Prompt You To Take Your Child To A Kids' Orthodontist
Posted on: 14 December 2021
When it comes to orthodontic treatment, some parents assume that it is only viable once their kids become teenagers, as this is when all their adult teeth will have come in. Admittedly, many teens require orthodontic treatment, and this can be credited to poor oral hygiene practices that allow dental problems to worsen over time. Nonetheless, this does not mean that younger children are exempt from getting kids' braces.
You may be surprised to learn that paying a visit to an orthodontist is not solely about remedying crooked teeth. Rather, the orthodontic treatments provided can also be utilized to restore your child's bite, the alignment of their jawbone, and so on. But how can you determine if your child requires this treatment? Here are some tell-tale signs that should prompt you to take your child to a kids' orthodontist.
Your child still self-soothes by thumb sucking
Thumb sucking and dummy sucking are not new phenomena. A good number of children find comfort in this behavior and, as such, will use it to self soothe whenever they are tired, sad, cranky, and more. It is also worth noting that some parents encourage thumb sucking and dummy sucking, as they think it's a cute habit when their kids are young. But while some children easily drop this habit as they get older, others will continue to thumb suck past their toddler years. The downside of your child retaining this habit is an increased risk of malformed teeth.
Usually, the upper teeth will steadily form an overbite, which presents a host of issues, for example, speech impediments, mouth breathing, challenges chewing their food, and so on. With that said, if your child is still sucking their thumb while losing their baby teeth, you must see a kids' orthodontist. This professional will not only help your child quit this habit, but they will correct any dental malformations that have cropped up due to thumb sucking.
Your child's permanent teeth are widely spaced apart
Milk teeth typically have multiple gaps in between them because these teeth are quite small. Nonetheless, this does not mean that, once your child loses their baby teeth, they will have spaces in their adult teeth. At the outset, adult teeth may not look that big but most of them are secured by a substantially sized root.
Therefore, since the adult teeth take up more space, your child should have fewer gaps in their teeth. If this is what they are dealing with, kids' braces could be the best course of treatment. The earlier that you see a kids' orthodontist, the sooner they can start the treatment and this will mitigate the formation of additional gaps down the road.
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