Parents with young children often make costly mistakes by delaying orthodontic treatment for their kids. As soon as you notice that your child has a dental problem that concerns you, you should always speak to a qualified orthodontist. Otherwise the older your child becomes, the harder it may become to treat some of the common problems that they have.
Most of the common problems that affect children are genetically inherited. They may also be caused by environmental factors; for instance a child who sucks his or her thumb frequently and for long may make the upper front teeth protrude outwards.
Below are some of the most common problems that can be remedied by early orthodontic treatment;
- Overjet;your child uses both jaws in biting, but if the upper teeth are slightly protruding, there may be a lack of coordination. The lower teeth may even bite on the palate because their counterparts on top are extending outwards.
- Underbite;an underbite or reverse bite is the complete opposite of an increased overjet. A child with an underbite will have their lower jaw and teeth extending outwards. There may be struggle to bite an apple.
- Widely spaced teeth;this problem may be caused by congenital absence of teeth or teeth that are smaller than average. Often, this doesn’t pose any health risk, but is treated more for its aesthetic effects.
- Protrusion;unlike an overjet or an underbite, protrusion means that the jaws may by well balanced, but the upper teeth are extremely protruded. And while this doesn’t also pose any health risk, it greatly affects the self esteem of most people. Adults with protruding teeth tend to avoid smiling. As a parent, early orthodontic treatment for your child can remedy this problem effectively.
- Crowding;crowding occurs when the teeth don’t have sufficient space in the arch. You’ll thus find 2 or 3 teeth overcrowding on a space ideal for just one. Traditionally, this problem was resolved by extracting the extra tooth, but this has now changed. You can get some non extraction procedures from a qualified orthodontist, to spare your child the pain and agony of having to lose an extra tooth.
- Cross bites;this may affect both the front or the back teeth and may result in jaw displacements which in turn may cause misaligned centre-lines and gum problems.
Early orthodontic treatment has been found to help treat over 90% of the common dental problems that affect children or even young adults. The trick is to always seek treatment from an orthodontist early.