At Kids Dental Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, we put kids first. Our experienced board-certified pediatric dentist, Dr. Bosede Adeniji, has advanced postdoctoral training in children’s dental care, emphasizing excellent oral health throughout a child’s entire lifespan.
Orthodontic care is often an important part of that care, and delaying it can affect your child’s oral health both now and as an adult.
Kids Dental Center recommends an early orthodontic evaluation at age 7. This age, as recommended by the American Association of Orthodontists, is a perfect “snapshot” of how your child’s mouth is developing.
Dr. Adeniji can determine the likely projection paths of your child’s remaining baby teeth as they fall out and adult teeth grow in. She can also assess their already-erupted adult teeth and determine if they’re in the proper positions within your child’s jaw.
Dr. Adeniji checks your child’s bite (how their teeth fit together) and jaw function. This evaluation can often provide a preview of whether your child will need orthodontic treatment, and if so, what the treatment might involve.
Although all kids should have an orthodontic evaluation, not all children require orthodontic treatment. If your child needs treatment, scheduling an appointment can offer many benefits.
Parents may delay orthodontic treatment for a variety of reasons, such as:
Although these may all be viable concerns, delaying treatment based on these factors can backfire in the long term.
When dentists recommend orthodontic treatment, they do so because a child’s teeth alignment, bite, and jaw growth may be at risk without treatment.
Delaying orthodontic care means that teeth continue growing in their current patterns. Over time, this usually means they continue shifting into the wrong positions. Teeth could rapidly become noticeably more uneven as your child grows.
As teeth grow increasingly crooked, they can start crowding or even overlapping nearby teeth. This may make it very challenging to brush and floss efficiently, and can significantly increase the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease.
Chewing can be a big challenge with crooked teeth. Your child may struggle to bite into food and chew it properly, which can have long-term negative effects on digestion and nutrient absorption.
Tooth misalignment can affect tongue movement and airflow. This can cause problems forming specific sounds and may make pronunciation difficult. Recent studies confirm that children with orthodontic problems are more likely to develop problems such as lisping.
With teeth misalignment, the jaw joints and nearby muscles sustain excessive pressure and strain. This could lead to chronic jaw pain and other related symptoms like headaches if the root cause (misalignment) isn’t treated.
Many children feel self-conscious about crooked teeth, especially if they’re experiencing additional challenges like speech and chewing issues. This may make many children reluctant to smile, speak freely with friends, or share meals with others. All of these things can cause serious social development issues.
When the mouth is still developing, orthodontic problems are much easier to treat. By the late teens and adult years, the teeth and jaw are fully developed and much harder to shift.
For example, a problem that may only require a year or less to correct in a child may take two years or longer to correct in an older teen or adult. Acting now can mean less time in the dental chair and quicker overall treatment.
Orthodontic treatment in older adolescents and adults isn’t just longer; it’s more complex. Your child could need additional, more complicated interventions if you wait until their teeth are already fully developed. That’s one of the main reasons treatment can take so much longer if you wait.
Kids Dental Center in Greenbelt offers orthodontic evaluations in a warm, supportive environment that kids love. Call us at 301-345-2881 to book your child’s appointment today.
