Wondering whether your child needs braces? Not sure when you should be taking them to get their over-bite looked at? Or are you confused about what age you should get the slight concerns you have about their permanent adult teeth investigated?
Dr Roelien Stapelberg, Specialist Orthodontist at Snö Dental Clinics, says that there are several factors to consider if you are asking yourself these types of questions and are wondering whether your child needs orthodontic treatment. And, despite what you might think, they aren’t all related to how their teeth actually look.
“It is particularly important to find out what is essential for health and function, and what is necessary for aesthetics,” Dr Roelien explains.
“The purpose of orthodontic treatment is to create a healthy, functional ‘bite’, which is part tooth alignment and part jaw position.”
And she is very clear that the earlier you get your children’s teeth looked at by a professional, the better.
“Receiving orthodontic treatment earlier rather than later can have a significant impact on future treatments and possible surgeries. In some cases, it may even eliminate the need for braces all together,” she says.
Most children lose the last of their baby teeth by the age of 12 and by the end of their teen years, their jaw bones have stopped growing. So with that in mind Dr Roelien says that: “If permanent teeth don’t have the room they need to come in, extracting a tooth might prevent larger problems later on.”
So what age should you be making an appointment for your little one with the orthodontist?
Because genetics play an important role in the structural skeletal pattern of the face, Dr Roelien recommends that parents bring their children for an orthodontic consult as early seven, which is also the recommended age by industry experts like the AAO.
“An orthodontic consult, at this age, can help identify when the best time to start treatment is, it could signal the start of ortho treatment to prevent more complex issues from arising in the near future and build relationships between child and dentist,” she explains.
There are several signs that parents should watch out for that warrant the need for an orthodontic consult according to Dr Roelien.
“If your child has any of the following symptoms, make them an appointment,” she says.
These are: difficulty in chewing or biting, thumb-sucking, breathing through the mouth, early or late loss of baby teeth, crowded, misplaced or blocked-out teeth, protruding teeth, jaws that are too far forward or back, biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth, upper and lower teeth that do not fit well together, an unbalanced facial appearance or grinding or clenching of the teeth.”
In certain instances, the orthodontist will adopt a two-phase orthodontic treatment plan.
“Two-phase orthodontic treatment consists of two separate times when a child receives orthodontic treatment,” Dr Roelien says.
She goes on to explain that: “A first phase of treatment is done while the child still has many or most of their primary or ‘baby’ teeth. A second phase takes place when the child has most or all of their permanent teeth.”
“A first phase of treatment benefits patients physically, enabling them to bite or chew more effectively. It may reduce the risk of breaking front teeth that protrude.”
Dr Roelien adds that most patients will require a second phase of treatment, often with traditional braces or Invisalign™, to complete the tooth and jaw alignment that was started during the first phase of treatment.
“A second phase of treatment moves permanent teeth into their final positions,” she concludes.
So keep your eyes on their gnashers and ensure that they have their best smile every day. .
Snö Dental Clinics, Abu Dhabi, www.snoclinics.com, 800 DENTIST (8003368478)
