Why kids might need braces?
We, as parents, want the best for our children in all aspects of their lives, which requires us to juggle a lot of things at once. And with so much on our hands, it’s easy to overlook something that can develop into a bigger problem later on. One of those things is whether your child might need braces. It can be difficult to tell whether it is a necessary investment, but you can watch out for the telltale signs even before you take your child to an orthodontic evaluation. Here are some of the potential reasons that can mean your child should receive orthodontic treatment.
Thumb-sucking
Sometimes, you can see that orthodontic treatment might be necessary very early on. If your child is still in their thumb-sucking phase, this is something you should keep an eye on. If the thumb-sucking continues even when the child is older, this habit can cause problems with adult teeth growth. Thumb-sucking can change the shape of the jaw and the position of the front teeth, which will require braces to correct. So, the best solution to this problem is prevention. Make sure you pay attention to your child’s habits and help them quit thumb-sucking after the age of two.
Loss of baby teeth too early or irregularly
Losing our baby teeth is a natural part of growing up, but if this process starts too early or happens at an irregular pace, it can result in the child needing orthodontic treatment. If your child is losing teeth irregularly, it can make it difficult for the adult teeth to grow in the proper place. Braces can help prevent the baby teeth the child still has from moving into the empty spaces, allowing the adult teeth to grow in the right position.
Problems with speech
If you notice that your child has difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, it is possible that orthodontic treatment is necessary to fix this issue. While misaligned teeth are not always the cause of a lisp, it is a common speech issue that is treated this way. To make sure that this is, indeed, the problem in question, you have to seek out a trusted orthodontist as well as a speech pathologist. It is highly recommended that you tackle this issue as a lisp can cause your child problems in school later on.
A misaligned jaw
Another issue that is sometimes not easy to notice is a misaligned jaw position. If your child has difficulty closing their mouth, it is possible that you will have to call an orthodontist. Sometimes, this is not apparent as the teeth may be straight but the jaw position might still be misaligned. Other times, it manifests in an overbite, underbite, or crossbite. Regardless of which one is the case, a misaligned jaw can cause difficulty in chewing (as well as the aforementioned speech problems,) so it should be dealt with sooner than later.
Gaps and crooked teeth
Finally, your child might need braces if they have gaps between their teeth or if their teeth are crooked. This is something that is both an aesthetic issue as well as one of comfort. Some gaps between the teeth are normal and don’t necessarily require treatment. However, gaps can also become problematic as food can get stuck in them. Similarly, crooked teeth can not only ruin your child’s self-confidence, but they can also cause discomfort and difficulty in chewing. Thankfully, both of these issues can be corrected by braces.
Professionals can tell you whether your child needs braces even when they are as young as 6 or 7 years old. When it comes to orthodontics, the sooner you act, the better. Some issues that can be easily corrected while your child is still small can turn into complicated problems when they grow up. So, if based on the aforementioned signs you suspect that your child might need to visit an orthodontist, make sure you don’t postpone the appointment.
Author BIO
Jasmine Anderson is a lifestyle and beauty blogger based in Australia. She is an incurable daydreamer, who finds inspiration in little, everyday moments. Spending time at her cozy home office with her two cats, writing her blog, is her favorite thing in the world. Twitter-AndersonJess_AJ.
I would like to thank you for mentioning speech problems as a reason to get braces for a child. When I was visiting my nephew the other day, I was noticing how he wasn’t able to speak some certain words properly, particularly the ones that start with the letter “S”. When my brother told me that this has been happening for a while, I wondered if there was anything he could do about it, so I’ll take your advice and help him get his son some braces.