The Importance of Early Orthodontic Evaluation for Children
When it comes to your child’s dental health, ensuring correct jaw and teeth development is very important. Early Cary orthodontist intervention plays a crucial role in their overall well-being and sets a foundation for a lifetime beautiful and healthy smile. The ADA advises that children should get their first orthodontic evaluation by the age of seven.
Early orthodontic evaluation is crucial for your child’s dental health and development. Tooth decay in North Carolina children has been the highest in 2024 as compared to the last five years. Read this blog to learn more about how early evaluation can help prevent such issues.
What is an early orthodontic evaluation?
Early orthodontic evaluation is a process of carefully examining your child’s facial and dental development. It is performed by a pediatric dentist or a professional orthodontist. Make sure to visit an orthodontist when your child still has a mixture of milk and permanent teeth, often around age seven, for an early evaluation.
There are several signs and symptoms to look for in your child that may indicate an early orthodontic evaluation. These include misplaced teeth, mouth breathing, problems with chewing or biting, early loss of baby teeth, and jaw shifts.
Common issues detected during evaluation
An early evaluation will help your orthodontist to detect several dental problems, including:
- Bite issues and misalignment: Problems such as crossbite, overbite, underbite, and open bite can be detected and addressed early on.
- Crowding of teeth: It helps detect if there is not enough space in your child’s mouth for permanent teeth to come in.
- Jaw development issues: Detecting any jaw development issues early allows your dentist to start early treatment and guide proper jaw development.
- Habits affecting dental health: Poor dental habits, such as tongue thrusting, mouth breathing, and thumb sucking, can impact the development of your jaws and teeth, leading to oral complications.
The importance of early orthodontic evaluation
Early evaluation allows your dentist to start treatment in a timely manner and sets the stage for healthier development. It not only allows the correct alignment of teeth and jaw growth but also reduces the chances of extensive future treatments.
Your child grows with a confident smile with less hassle and expense. Some of the benefits of early orthodontic treatment are as follows:
It guides jaw growth
With early orthodontic evaluation in Morrisville, your dentist can monitor and guide the proper development of your jaws. This assessment is essential to detect any irregularities early.
Proper jaw alignment and growth are crucial for your oral health. Other than contributing to facial symmetry, it ensures there is enough space for permanent teeth and helps achieve a correct bite, which is essential for speaking and chewing. Early detection can reduce the need for more invasive treatments in the future.
Improved speech and eating
Jaw problems and misaligned teeth can affect your child’s ability to chew and speak properly. Children with jaw problems or misaligned teeth often face problems in articulating sounds like d, s, t, and z.
It can also cause difficulty in chewing hard or chewy foods. This could limit your child’s diet and nutrition intake and may affect their growth and development. With early evaluation, these issues can be addressed, which will lead to improved functioning of your child’s teeth and jaw and also boost their self-esteem.
Correcting bad habits
Poor dental habits such as tongue thrusting and thumb sucking can lead to orthodontic issues. The constant pressure from thumb sucking can force your front teeth to push forward. This leads to a condition called open bite, where your child’s upper and lower front teeth do not meet when their mouth is closed. It can also impact your hard palate.
Visit an orthodontist today!
If your child still has baby teeth and their permanent teeth are emerging, this may be the right time to get them to an orthodontist for an early evaluation. Schedule an appointment with your nearest dentist in North Carolina today!
