Beautiful, white and ideally aligned teeth are the beauty ideal. In order to enjoy it, it is not enough to just pay attention to the oral hygiene. It is necessary to prevent and treat malocclusions.
Preventive orthodontic examination
It is not necessary to contact the orthodontist before all primary teeth of a child are erupted because it is impossible to correct any malocclusion which has not been formed yet.
The first orthodontic visit should take place between 3 and 6 years of age - in a period when the child already have all primary teeth.
If the orthodontist doesn't notice any malocclusion, next appointment should take place between 7 and 9 years of age. This period is a first stage of primary teeth replacement. When the small milk teeth are being replaced by first permanent molar and incisor teeth, it may turn out that the child's jaw is too small for the new dental arch. Orthodontist can prevent the formation of malocclusion or, at least, its development.
Another orthodontic consultation should take place in the period between 10 and 12 years of age. This is a second stage of the primary teeth replacement process. Small incisor and molar teeth are being replaced by bigger permanent teeth, which usually take too much space. When the child's jaw doesn't provide enough space for all the permanent teeth, they might get crooked. This is a first stage of the crowding of teeth or of other types of malocclusion.
What are the symptoms of malocclusion?
You shouldn't put off the orthodontic appointment until malocclusion is noticeable and hinders your normal life. When the child has all permanent teeth, it is possible to treat malocclusion, which is not noticeable for the parents. If you notice the following symptoms, you should take your child to the doctor:
- Too late teeth replacement
- Nail biting, thumb sucking and mouth breathing.
- Caries and early loss of primary teeth.
- Too tight arrangement of teeth in the dental arch.
- Face asymmetry.
When is it necessary to undergo the orthodontic treatment?
- When the inappropriate relation between the lower and upper jaw is visible, going to the doctor is a must.
- The orthodontic treatment is also essential in the case of first symptoms of speech problems (unarticulated speech) and chewing difficulties.
- Teeth crowing as well as too big gaps between the teeth are also dangerous. They may cause periodontal diseases.
- Other alarming symptoms include breathing difficulties. It occurs when, due to the impossibility of closing the mouth, only mouth breathing is possible.
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