Treatment of children and teenagers

First visit to orthodontist

Don’t be afraid to come and see us with your child three to five-year-old: Some dental malalignments can already be corrected easily in the baby teeth to facilitate proper biting and chewing, for example, or to achieve correct articulation if your child lisps or sleeps with open mouth . Often, early steps can be taken to reduce the need for major orthodontic treatment at a later age.

By age 7, enough permanent teeth have come in and enough jaw growth has occurred that the orthodontist can identify current problems, anticipate future problems and alleviate parents’ concerns if all seems normal. The first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in by age 7, and crossbites, crowding and developing injury-prone dental protrusions can be evaluated. Any ongoing finger sucking or other oral habits can be assessed at this time also.

Children develop their final permanent teeth between the age of nine and twelve, making this the best age to start orthodontic correction. This treatment can last right to the end of puberty, when the last back baby teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth, and when the facial bones are still growing. In order to prevent malalignments we guide the process of tooth eruption and monitor the proportions of the jaws and skull in our practice. We also check the positioning of upper and lower jaws on a regular basis. We usually treat our patients with removable appliances at this stage. Depending on the type selected, these will not only influence the position of the teeth and jaw, can also improve the chewing pattern and facilitate lip closure

This is an excellent stage to start treatment, when indicated, as your child’s hard and soft tissues are usually very responsive to orthodontic or orthopedic forces. The timing of your treatment is very important; a consultation will allow us to better understand your needs. Some signs or habits that may indicate the need for early orthodontic examination are early or late loss of baby teeth, difficulty in chewing or biting, mouth breathing, thumb sucking, finger sucking,crowding or blocked out teeth. Treatment initiated in this stage of development is often very successful and many times, though not always, can eliminate the need for future orthodontic/orthopedic treatment.

There are several types of aplliances for jaw relationships correction including Activator, Bionator, Twin-block, Delaire mask.... And it can also be reassuring to hear that everything is fine and no treatment is necessary.