When should you take your child to an orthodontist?
Taking care of young children's teeth can be a real challenge. It is a time when a lot is truly happening in a child's life (and mouth!). When the first milk teeth fall out and permanent teeth appear in their place, parents often wonder whether everything is fine with them, whether the child's bite is correct, and what to do to keep the teeth healthy. Fortunately, these are questions that a parent can confidently take to a paediatric orthodontist. When should you take your child to an orthodontist for the first time and what should you pay attention to? Find out from our article. Enjoy the read!
A preventive visit to the orthodontist
Just like with a visit to the dentist, it is worth seeing an orthodontist before serious problems truly begin. That is why orthodontists recommend that the first preventive visits with a child take place at around 7–10 years of age. By then, the child usually has most of their permanent teeth, making it easy to diagnose and correct any potential abnormalities. Catching the problem early allows for effective treatment.
What symptoms should worry a parent?
It happens that young children end up in the orthodontic chair. This most often occurs when parents notice abnormalities at an early stage of development. What should concern a parent and prompt a visit to the orthodontist?
improperly erupting teeth – tilted, twisted, growing over one another, etc.
lack of space for erupting permanent teeth
a protruding or receding chin
an open mouth, breathing through the mouth
speech defects, lisping
thumb sucking, biting hard objects
teeth grinding
Why is the first visit to the orthodontist so important?
Many parents do not opt for a check-up visit to the orthodontist, believing that any malocclusions and other problems would be immediately visible. If they do not notice any worrying signs, they forgo this type of prevention. Is this a mistake? Unfortunately, yes. Although some malocclusions are very visible and hard to miss, there are also those we might have no idea about, especially at such an early stage of a child's development. Such a defect or problem will, however, be spotted by a specialist, such as a paediatric orthodontist. As a result, they will be able to take the necessary steps to correct the existing defect. Otherwise, the condition will worsen, and its treatment will become increasingly complicated and more expensive. The sooner a diagnosis is made, the easier and less burdensome the treatment is for the young patient.
Where do malocclusions in children come from?
This is a very important question that many parents ask themselves. It happens that even with proper oral hygiene from an early age, a child develops a more or less serious malocclusion. Unfortunately, we often simply have no control over its occurrence. Malocclusions can develop due to:
genetic factors
maternal illnesses and problems during pregnancy
harmful childhood habits, e.g. thumb sucking
premature loss of milk teeth
mouth breathing
and many others…
Remember, a preventative visit to a paediatric orthodontist is very important. It is not worth skipping! At Malo Clinic in Warsaw, we will also be welcoming our youngest patients. An orthodontist is joining our team who works not only with adults, but also with children. Marcin Kucharski, DDS, works calmly, methodically, and thoroughly. He specialises in the treatment of malocclusions in children, adolescents, and adults. He works with fixed and removable appliances. We will take care of the healthy smiles of our youngest patients. Malo Clinic https://www.maloclinics.pl/kontakt/
