As a parent, it is natural to want to give your child the best, especially when it comes to his/her health and wellbeing. Most people know that crowded or crooked teeth are why most people wear braces. However, how will you know if your child is the right candidate for braces?
Detecting early signs that your child could need braces can help prevent severe dental issues down the road. That is why it is advisable to introduce your child to a dentist before his/her first birthday because early detection of potential orthodontic issues can prevent severe complications later in life.
However, there are signs that you could watch out for as a parent to know that it is time to have your child see an orthodontist. If you are unsure of what to look for to know whether or not your child needs braces, this article is yours.
Indicators That Your Child Could Need Braces
The ideal age for children to start wearing braces differs from child to child. However, most children will begin wearing braces from the age of seven to fourteen years because they have most of their permanent teeth at this age. The sooner you detect that your child could need braces, the better because some of these orthodontic issues adhere to treatment better when detected early.
Wearing braces is one of the most effective ways of correcting orthodontic issues like teeth misalignment. Braces are typically dental tools that work by exerting pressure on your child's jaws and teeth over an extended period to change their position and improve his/her smile appearance and prevent dental issues like decay down the road.
If you notice any of the following warning signs, you should visit an orthodontist as soon as you can to find out whether your child is an excellent candidate for braces:
Irregular Loss of Baby Teeth
Undoubtedly, early or late loss of baby teeth is a common indicator that your child could benefit from the services of an orthodontist. Typically, your child's baby teeth will emerge between the age of one to three. Then, they will begin to loosen and fall out when your child is about six years to twelve or thirteen years old.
If your child loses his/her baby teeth earlier than expected, the remaining teeth could shift position, trapping the adult or permanent tooth underneath. Similarly, when he/she loses his/her baby teeth later than usual or expected, the adult teeth underneath could erupt improperly.
Generally, the main issue with irregular loss of baby teeth is that it causes jaw and tooth alignment inconsistencies. When that happens, your child could benefit from wearing braces to prevent severe orthodontic problems like crowding down the road.
Crowded Teeth
Perhaps the most common sign that your child could benefit from wearing braces is crowded or crooked teeth. There are several reasons why your child's teeth could grow in crowded, including:
-
Lack of sufficient space to accommodate emerging permanent teeth, especially when baby teeth fail to fall out as expected
-
Genetics
-
Thumbsucking
-
Mouth breathing
Regardless of the cause, crowded teeth can make it challenging for your child to achieve top-notch oral health, leading to other dental issues like decay or gum disease. Not forgetting, crowded teeth could also make your child self-conscious about his/her smile, affecting his/her confidence to talk in public or laugh with friends.
Fortunately, wearing braces can help move crooked or crowded teeth in their ideal place or position in the mouth to give your child a "catchy" and confident smile. If you detect your child has crooked teeth, you should let an orthodontist examine this condition as soon as possible for appropriate treatment.
Bite Problems or Misaligned Jaw
If your child has a misaligned jaw or an improper bite, it means his/her teeth do not meet correctly when at rest, meaning they need orthodontic treatment to align. Below are some of the most prevalent jaw and bite problems that could make it necessary for your child to wear braces for an appealing smile they deserve:
-
Overbite
As the name suggests, an overbite occurs when your child's upper front teeth stick out too far beyond his/her bottom front teeth. Although most people have a slight overbite, a severe overbite can lead to other oral health issues like decay or gum disease when left untreated or uncorrected.
-
Underbite
An underbite is typically a dental condition where your child's lower front teeth sit or protrude further than the upper top teeth, primarily due to the misalignment of the jaw. In simple terms, it means your child's lower teeth overlap the upper teeth when his/her mouth is at rest.
-
Crossbite
If your child's bottom and top teeth do not match up correctly when he/she bites, it is because he/she has a crossbite. Typically, a crossbite could affect a group of teeth or a single tooth on your child's mouth.
-
Open Bite
Typically, your child has an overbite if his/her teeth in both the lower and upper jaw do not overlap or bite in their ideal position when they are back together. Often, an open bite will make it challenging for your child to bite or chew food. Fortunately, wearing braces can fix your child's jaws over an extended period to give him/her a correct bite and a great smile.
Generally, correcting these bite problems is not complex since your child's jaw and teeth are still developing. In treating a bite issue, the orthodontist will need to take molds and x-rays pictures of your child's mouth to identify the root cause of the problem. The most reliable way of correcting a misaligned jaw problem or bite issue in children and adults is by wearing braces.
To know whether or not your child has a bite issue or a misaligned jaw, you should pay attention to his/her smile. If you detect that your child's smile is crooked due to any of the above bite issues, he/she could benefit from wearing braces.
Too Many Spaced Teeth/Extremely Spaced Teeth
Another well-known sign that your child needs or could need braces is significantly spaced teeth or too many spaced teeth in his/her mouth. Apart from affecting your child's self-esteem and confidence, extremely spaced or gapped teeth can also cause oral health problems.
Typically, widely spaced teeth tend to trap food, attracting bacteria build-up in your child's mouth. If left untreated, this could weaken your child's gums and teeth, leading to complications like decay or periodontitis.
Too many spaces in your child's teeth can also cause misaligned bite or bite issues, leading to chewing difficulties and jaw pain. Fortunately, this dental condition is treatable by wearing braces to push your child's teeth back in their ideal position in the mouth over an extended period.
Jaw or Mouth Pain
Of course, not all orthodontic issues have visible signs or symptoms. If your child is experiencing pain in his/her mouth or facial area regularly, it could be a sign of an underlying orthodontic problem. The best way to determine the cause of this discomfort is by visiting an orthodontist.
The orthodontist could need x-ray pictures of your child's mouth and facial area to point out the root cause of this uncomfortable issue. In most situations, wearing braces can help your child prevent severe dental problems down the road if he/she is experiencing jaw or mouth pain.
Trouble Biting and Chewing
Chewing and biting should be a breeze when your child's jaws and teeth are aligned as they are expected to be. To that end, if your child has misaligned teeth or jaws, chewing and biting foods could be difficult, which can significantly affect their health and development.
Luckily, wearing braces can help reposition your child's teeth and jaws into their ideal place, allowing him/her to chew comfortably. Below are some of the most common symptoms of teeth or jaw misalignment on children:
-
Pain while chewing – Jaw misalignment issues will often cause pain while chewing. If your child complains of pain in his facial area when chewing hard foods or biting an apple, he/she could be suffering from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain caused by a misaligned jaw.
-
Avoiding food – To prevent the pain that comes when chewing, your child could avoid food, which is a clear indicator of jaw misalignment issues.
-
Not chewing well – Even if your child can eat, he/she could experience difficulties chewing or breaking down the food before swallowing, and this can lead to stomach pain and indigestion.
Speech Difficulties
Apart from biting and chewing foods, teeth play a crucial role in pronouncing words and talking. When you detect that your child is experiencing difficulties with speech, you should consult with an orthodontist because it could be one of the following problems causing challenges with his/her speech:
-
Difficulties pronouncing words – Often, if your child has problems pronouncing particular words or letters, for example, the letter "S" or "R," it is probably due to a bite issue
-
Slurring words – If you realize that your child is slurring words, the chances are that he/she has insufficient space in his/her mouth
By wearing braces, your child's teeth can be aligned to their correct position in the mouth, allowing him/her to speak clearly and confidently.
Prolonged Thumb Sucking
Prolonged thumb sucking is an indicator that your child could need braces. Although thumb sucking is normal before a child turns four years old, this repetitive behavior can cause orthodontic issues. If your child is thumb-sucking past the age of five or six years, that extra pressure could affect the angle his/her adult teeth will come in, causing crowding or an overbite.
To prevent this kind of orthodontic problem, if your child is still sucking his/her thumb or finger past the age of six, you should explain the situation to an orthodontist. Wearing braces could help prevent potential orthodontic problems down the road if your child has a habit of thumb-sucking. The orthodontist could also recommend tips to help your child stop thumbsucking, for example:
-
You can keep your child's hands busy through writing, art and craft, and other engaging activities
-
Use positive reinforcement
-
Use a bitter nail polish
Mouth Breathing
Does your child breathe through the mouth most of the time, especially when asleep? Although breathing through the mouth is helpful, especially when your nose is clogged, it can cause orthodontic issues if it becomes habitual. Habitual mouth breathing can make your child's jaw narrower because he/she has to keep his/her mouth open most of the time.
With a narrower or thin jaw, your child could develop teeth crowding on their bottom jaw, which can be painful and unhygienic. Mouth breathing can also make your child develop a long face, affecting his/her physical appearance. To prevent these potential consequences of mouth breathing in children, the dentist will recommend wearing braces as soon as possible.
Teeth Grinding
Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding is another sign that your child could benefit from wearing braces. Although occasional teeth grinding does not cause any harm, habitual or regular teeth grinding can cause excessive wear and tear of your child's teeth. Apart from damaging your child's teeth, excessive teeth grinding can also cause TMJ pain or change his/her facial appearance.
Fortunately, wearing braces is one way of fixing the issue of teeth grinding to protect your child's oral health.
The Bottom Line
Since no child is the same, there is no exact age when a child should start wearing braces to prevent orthodontic issues. As a parent, it is advisable to be on the lookout every time to notice warning signs that your child could need braces for a timely visit to an orthodontist clinic.
Find a Reliable Orthodontist Near Me
If you notice any of the above-explained signs that your child could need braces, you should schedule an appointment with a dentist without delay. The highly experienced team at Northridge Advanced Dentistry can formulate an appropriate treatment plan for your child's orthodontic issues, including wearing braces to give him/her a great smile with well-aligned teeth.
Call us at 818-701-3010 to schedule an obligation-free appointment with our reliable and friendly dentists if you think your child could benefit from wearing braces due to the above or any other orthodontic issue.
