Orthodontic treatment means time, money investment, and patient compliance, so you should plan accordingly. Early intervention can change the course of teeth straightening for children who show signs of malocclusion.
Taking your kid to periodical examinations with their pediatric orthodontist is crucial to catch developing issues before they develop into complex misalignments. A specialist can diagnose these types of dental problems and design a treatment plan.
What can orthodontic treatment solve? Why should you take your child to visit a pediatric orthodontist? Teeth straightening is not (only) about self-confidence but also about dental and overall health. Orthodontics plays a role in the fight against tooth decay and tooth loss and helps prevent gum disease and oral infections in general.
Early Orthodontics Treatment For Children, Centennial
Malocclusion problems, commonly called bad bites, can lead to mandible pain, headaches, and trouble chewing and speaking. These dental issues do not solve naturally over time. On the contrary, postponing treatment can only worsen things.
If your child has crooked teeth or a deep overbite due to years of thumb-sucking, they will benefit from teeth straightening. And you don’t have to travel the country to access early orthodontic treatment; in Centennial, you can find the best dental care.
Learning how to take care of your children’s teeth is part of the whole package of duties you face as a parent. Dr. Sloss can walk you through the process of discovering the best dental treatments for your family.
What Should a Detailed Orthodontic Treatment Plan Include?
Find the Right Pediatric Orthodontist in Centennial, CO
Orthodontics for children, as well as dentistry, requires a different approach to the patients. To prevent the fear of visiting the dentist, you must find a specialist who knows how to treat them with kindness and empathy.
Because kids don’t necessarily understand the consequences of not going to the dentist or not complying with their instructions, it’s essential for them to feel encouraged with their oral health in other ways. A pediatric orthodontist can explain treatment and compliance to make it seem fun and rewarding for your child.
The relationship between orthodontists and patients will last years, so its foundation must be trust and understanding. That’s for patients in general and with pediatric patients, becomes paramount.
Professional Examination
Only after a thorough dental examination can an orthodontist say if there is any problem with spacing in the jaws or the teeth’ alignment. Depending on the issue, the doctor can suggest a treatment course.
In younger patients, it’s usually recommended to follow two-phase orthodontic treatment. Even when intervention is needed, your kids do not need to start wearing braces until later in life, in their pre-teen or teenage years. Two-phase treatment is the solution to attack the issue and prevent further complications.
A correct diagnosis is the most important part of any treatment, so you should only trust the word of licensed orthodontists and dentists. The AAO does not recommend virtual checkups or in-mail aligners.
Top-Notch Orthodontic Appliances
Not all dental practices work with different types of braces or clear aligners, and this is something you should keep in mind when choosing. You and your family will benefit from having the most alternatives available.
On the other hand, doctors who are too old-school will not be able to offer cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art procedures. Traditional metal braces are indeed the most effective orthodontic appliance there is, but clear ceramic braces can achieve the same results, and Invisalign aligners do wonders in specific cases.
Post-Treatment Care
The moment a patient takes off their appliances, it’s not the end of the treatment. When the teeth are ready for removing the braces, it’s necessary to wear custom retainers to ensure teeth stay in their new aligned position.
This is part of the treatment; no doctor can exclude it from the treatment plan. Regular visits to the dental office are also mandatory because your orthodontist will check your teeth are staying in place and adjusting. You can ruin the progress by not complying with this final part of the orthodontic treatment.
Attention for orthodontic emergencies is also a must when it comes to selecting a dental practice. There are few real emergencies in orthodontics, but you will want to know where to go and who to call in case you have one.
What Is Early Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment?
Sloss Carpenter Orthodontics is a dental home that offers early orthodontics treatment in Centennial. The approach is to maintain a vigilant eye to catch issues before they develop.
Though the name may suggest starting treatment, this is not always necessary. Early orthodontic treatment can help guide mandible and maxillar growth and prevent tooth extractions, teeth crowding, et cetera.
This phase involves annual visits to the orthodontist and functional appliances such as palatal expanders and headgear. During these checkups, a pediatric orthodontist can recommend avoiding certain oral habits that affect jaw development, like thumb-sucking.
Preventative orthodontics can start as soon as age six or seven. One of the biggest advantages of this type of orthodontic treatment is that it can notably reduce the length of straightening treatment later in life, and it can help with facial symmetry.
Dr. Sloss and her team are licensed to provide children orthodontics in Centennial.
What Is the Rationale Behind Early Orthodontic Intervention in Children?
Children and preteens have more malleable facial structures than adults, meaning their teeth and jaw offer the possibility of a quicker response to orthodontic treatment. Nevertheless, this fact does not imply that adults can’t have orthodontics. The goal is to avoid the development of dental issues.
Orthodontics for children requires an expert eye that can spot the signals of malocclusions before the teeth and jaws begin to suffer the consequences. A pediatric orthodontist can read the space and jaw structure to know if the patient has enough space to complete the dentition process.
There is no need to allow a crossbite or open bite if you have the possibility to prevent it from getting worse. The results your children can achieve from interceptive treatment are likely to be long-lasting.
At What Age Should Your Kid First Visit an Orthodontist?
Your kid can start visiting a pediatric dental office as soon as you like after their teeth are out. However, you can wait until they are six or seven years old to begin their dental checkups.
The sooner and steadier you both begin this process, the better for your children. Visiting the dentist and orthodontist from an early age can help your child to avoid the fear of them and to have a conscience about their oral health in general.
Remember, the first time your kid visits a dental home, it should be one that specializes in pediatric care so they receive empathy and fun. Because orthodontic appliances can seem threatening, pediatric dental homes must present in a more amicable way than dental practices for adults.
Does Preventative Orthodontics Help Avoid Tooth Extractions?
Yes, but how so? In many cases, dentists and orthodontists indicate tooth extractions to create space and make room for a proper alignment of the teeth. When a patient addresses their dental issues early, orthodontists can help widen the jaw, creating new space to move teeth.
Centennial Orthodontic treatment does not only realign teeth but can also affect jaw structure and positioning.
Since aligned teeth decrease the risk of tooth decay and gum infection, they also prevent tooth extractions due to poor oral health causes.
What Problems Can Early Orthodontic Treatment Solve?
Orthodontics helps correct teeth misalignment in patients of all ages, but the treatment and appliances vary when the doctor is not only trying to correct a problem but also preventing it.
To correct crooked teeth or an overbite in adult patients, traditional braces are the safest shot. But to prevent overcrowded teeth, underbites, open bites, crossbites, and similar, functional appliances at an early age can really make a difference.
In summary, early interceptive treatment can solve the following misalignment problems:
- Mild to severe overbites.
- Mild to severe underbites.
- Crossbite.
- Mild or severely crooked teeth.
- Mild or severely crowded teeth.
All of these issues fall into different classes of dental malocclusions.
Make an Appointment For Children Orthodontics, Centennial
Dr. Carpenter and Dr. Sloss are more than ready to receive your kid and provide the best orthodontic treatments for kids in Centennial.
Orthodontics Near Me At Sloss & Carpenter Orthodontics, we can help with first-time professional examination, diagnosis, treatment alternatives such as Invisalign, and different types of braces. Yes, kids can wear clear aligners too!
Schedule an appointment and start planning for the oral health of your family!
