Children’s Orthodontic Options. If you live in the Forest Hills, Richmond Hill, and Woodhaven areas, be sure to contact Amazing Smiles and their highly qualified team to get answers to your questions and to schedule an appointment for your child(ren) as soon as possible.
If you’re a parent with children, you’re probably wondering whether or not your children need to see an orthodontist. Obviously, they’re going to need to see a dentist for regular cleanings, but an orthodontist?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Yes, your children should see an orthodontist. Especially if their regular dentist has made the recommendation. In fact, it’s often recommended that parents get their children in to see an orthodontist by the age of seven (7) years old when they have a healthy mix of primary teeth and permanent teeth.
CHILDREN’S ORTHODONTIC OPTIONS
This allows the orthodontist to assess whether or not there is crowding in your child’s mouth as the primary teeth drop out and the permanent teeth take their places.
If your child exhibits signs of crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw, difficulty eating or chewing food, or they are complaining of pain in their teeth, jaw, or gums, then they definitely need to see an orthodontist sooner rather than later. Dentists are only trained for the cleaning of teeth, whereas an orthodontist receives additional training that specializes in perfecting smiles through the use of orthodontic appliances.
If that is the case, there are many options available for your child(ren). Braces – especially traditional metal braces with brackets and bands – are the most common option available for your child’s alignment needs. Headgear and retainers might also be used depending on the how extreme the misalignment is.
But with the increase in orthodontic technologies, there are now newer forms of braces that can be used to correct your child’s teeth. Aside from the stainless-steel format commonly associated, there are also ceramic materials, as well as clear alignment trays made from plastic.
In rather extreme cases, oral surgery might be a necessary tactic, but that’s usually in cases where the patient has gone too long without any proper alignment taking place.
