With so many kids wearing braces these days, some parents can’t help but wonder whether their child also needs braces or not. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, children should ideally see an orthodontist by age seven. Here at Charlottesville Pediatric Dentistry, one of our orthodontists, Dr. Aaron Stump, Dr. Taylor Smith, or Dr. Jennifer Dixon will be able to determine whether your child requires orthodontics during your consultation in our Spring Creek or Hollymead office in Charlottesville, NC.
In the meantime, below are signs to watch out for that could indicate your child might benefit from orthodontic treatment:
- Mouth breathing
- Difficulty biting or down or chewing
- Irregular, late, or early loss of milk teeth
- Finger or thumb sucking
- Jaws that are recessed, protruded, make sounds, or shift
- Blocked-out, misplaced, or crowded teeth
- Teeth that don’t touch each other or meet abnormally
- Teeth and jaws that seem too small or big for the face
The AAO recommends that if you see any of these issues with your child, you should see your orthodontist even if you’re child is younger than seven years old.
Is There an Ideal Age for Orthodontic Treatment?
Essentially, the most suitable age will vary from one child to another. In most cases, however, orthodontic treatment typically starts between nine and 14 years old since children in this age bracket have some adult teeth already while some are still growing.
Take note that most orthodontic issues like crowded teeth protruded upper teeth, missing or extra teeth, jaw growth issues, and excess space between teeth might be hereditary. On the other hand, some orthodontic issues develop over time due to poor habits like sucking on fingers or thumbs, poor nutrition, poor oral hygiene, or breathing through the mouth among others.
What Problems Can Orthodontics Treat?
Any orthodontic issue could be considered a bad bite or malocclusion. The specific orthodontic treatment that your orthodontist in our Spring Creek or Hollymead offices in Charlottesville, NC, may recommend will significantly depend on your child’s specific problem and the severity of the malocclusion. Generally speaking though, orthodontics can help address the following:
- Crowded, crooked, or misaligned teeth
- Extra or missing teeth
- Underbites
- Overbites
- Open bites
- Crossbites
- Incorrect or crooked jaw positioning
- Jaw joint disorders
- Overlapping or closely-spaced teeth
- Open spaces between teeth, which includes diastema correction
For More Details on Orthodontics? Give Us a Call
Schedule an evaluation with one of our dentists here in Charlottesville Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Aaron Stump, Dr. Taylor Smith, or Dr. Jennifer Dixon. You can reach our Hollymead Charlottesville, NC, office at (434)-975-7336 and our Spring Creek Charlottesville, NC, office at (540) 832-6657.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Charlottesville Pediatric Dentistry will be temporarily closed in accordance with the recommendations by the CDC and ADA.