Straight Talk About Crooked Teeth

As your child’s teeth grow in, there’s a good chance they may not all line up neatly. As your child grows older, misaligned teeth, often the result of genetics, can benefit from orthodontic treatment. Not only can treatment boost his or her confidence and self-esteem as your child grows into adulthood but it can save your child from a variety of health problems.

Misaligned teeth can take many forms—an overbite or an underbite, too much or too little space between teeth. All these conditions can be treated with appliances such as braces, space maintainers and retainers that put gentle pressure on the teeth and the jaws to move the teeth into place. Fortunately for your child, these days many orthodontic appliances are less visible than traditional braces are. In some cases, for example, brackets are bonded to the back of the teeth.

Even if your child does need traditional braces, the long-term benefits are significant. In addition to affecting your child psychologically throughout life, crooked teeth and misaligned bites can

• interfere with proper chewing of food
• make it more difficult to brush and floss, thus increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease
• strain the teeth, jaws and muscles, increasing the risk of breaking a tooth
• cause abnormal wear on tooth surfaces, difficulty speaking and possibly temporomandibular joint disorders

Your child should be screened for orthodontic treatment when he or she is about 7 years old, when permanent teeth start coming in and bones are still growing. While orthodontic treatment is unlikely to start quite that early, future problems can often be spotted even at that young age. If your child has not been evaluated for misaligned teeth, call us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared. With proper care, your child will grow into adulthood with a healthy, confident smile.