Often, the first signs of developing dental misalignment occur as young as age seven, which is why we offer unique treatment options to help guide the growth of the smile and limit misalignment. At your Frisco, TX, children’s dental practice, our team can offer interceptive orthodontics, such as retainers and space maintainers.
The Causes and Impacts of Misalignment
How does a child develop dental misalignment? For some, this could happen due to issues with the growth and development of the jaw and certain oral structures. Others could develop misalignment due to issues with tooth eruption. Losing teeth prematurely can impact how the permanent teeth erupt and increase the risk of alignment issues. Without treatment, this could make thorough brushing and flossing more difficult, increasing the risk of tooth decay and dental infection, as well as gingivitis. Children could also feel embarrassed about their appearance, and in their adult years poor alignment could be a factor in the onset of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). But we can help kids as young as age seven with interceptive orthodontics.
The Benefits of Interceptive Orthodontics
By age seven, kids have a mix of primary and permanent teeth, so we can better gauge the risks posed by poor alignment. At this age, the smile is still growing and developing, so the use of interceptive orthodontics means we can guide the growth of the smile and help ensure better eruption of permanent teeth. This limits the severity of misalignment, and once they reach the teen years, we can complete treatment with braces or aligners. Your kids then start their high school years with an even smile!
Possible Treatment Options
If your child loses baby teeth prematurely, this can mean the surrounding teeth shift and that the permanent teeth have trouble erupting. As a result, the risk of poor alignment increases. But with a space maintainer, we attach an appliance that helps keep the space open so permanent teeth can erupt without complication. This can be removed or in most cases, fixed in place. Tio help guide the growth of the smile, we could custom-fit a retainer to the smile, which helps limit the severity of poor alignment and improve overall bite function and smile beauty. We will provide instructions for maintaining these appliances, and monitor your child with periodic visits.
If you have any questions about how we correct little smiles with interceptive orthodontics, or if you want to schedule a consultation for your little one, the contact our team today.
TALK TO YOUR FRISCO, TX, DENTIST ABOUT INTERCEPTIVE ORTHODONTICS
We want to help your kids enjoy better oral health and a beautiful smile. To learn more about helping your children avoid uneven smiles, then call Healthy Smiles Children’s Dentistry at (214) 436-4774.