As an adult it’s important to look after your teeth. And of course if you have children you also need to look after your children’s teeth too. When you’re considering your child’s orthodontic needs it may be beneficial to visit an Orthodontist at an early age, well before all the adult teeth come in. One of the best ways of achieving a great result for your children’s teeth is to look at preventative orthodontic treatment to see if this can avoid orthodontic issues later in life.

Orthodontics is about more than corrective treatments with preventative treatment playing a big part in the process as well in some cases.

We’re going to look more closely at preventative orthodontic treatment and to understand how it can assist in resolving early orthodontic issues later down the track.

What is preventative orthodontic treatment?

Preventative orthodontic treatment is the process of receiving treatment early, in order to prevent further orthodontic problems.

Genetics play a big role in dental health, but there are also a lot of environmental factors that play a part too.

You need ensure you do as much as possible to help your children look after their teeth as well as they can.

This may prevent the need for more intensive and invasive treatment later on.

For example if your child has issues with teeth spacing, preventative treatment can create space for their future teeth to come through.

Who needs preventative orthodontics?

Children are the ones who are going to benefit the most from preventative orthodontics as they have much more time to grow and develop, allowing correction during this growth.

“Orthodontics is about more than corrective treatments with preventative treatment playing a big part in the process as well in some cases.”

Not everyone will have orthodontic issues that can be helped by early preventative treatment and it’s important for the child to be assessed by a specialist orthodontist to see if they can benefit from this type of proactive approach.

Early preventative treatment can prepare them for their permanent teeth and help to significantly reduce orthodontic issues requiring treatments later in life.

How to know if your child needs preventative treatment?

So how do you know if your child would benefit from preventative orthodontic treatment?

Orthodontists will offer screenings around the age of 8 or 9 to determine your child’s oral health, and whether they might need any treatment as a result.

Things like inadequate jaw space, crowding or teeth not erupting on time can all be reasons for why your child might benefit from early treatment.

Other things such as protruding front teeth, overbites, pain when biting, or if your child is older than 5 and still sucking their thumb.

These are all factors that can contribute to your child needing preventative orthodontics.

Your Orthodontist will make an assessment and provide options for treatment and when best to start.

Baby teeth are important

Baby teeth are seen as spacers to help position the jaw and gums correctly and make room for the adult teeth to eventually arrive.

Baby teeth are important as the space they occupy will eventually house an adult tooth.

If a baby tooth falls out prematurely the adult teeth may not have enough room to grow properly, so maintaining the longevity of baby teeth is absolutely essential.

You should make sure your child keeps their baby teeth in great condition as much as possible, and should any become damaged or lost due to decay or an accident, you should contact an orthodontist as soon as possible.

What should you from preventative orthodontics?

There are a few things that you need to expect when it comes to giving your children preventative orthodontic treatment.

Initially  x-rays will be taken to assess the future development of your child’s facial features.

The Orthodontist will make an assessment to see if your child requires early preventative treatment as not all children have orthodontic conditions that can be addressed at a young age.

If your child is a candidate for preventive treatment, the first appointment will discuss treatment options and costs, and you’ll be able to make a decision about what to do next.

So you can see why preventative orthodontic treatment matters and can be an important process in the growth and development of your child’s teeth.

It’s important that you do as much as you can to take care of your child’s teeth, and understanding the significance of taking care of baby teeth as well is crucial as they play a vital role in the adult tooth development.