When your children start to lost their baby teeth there is a lot of excitement in the air with the expectation of having your grownup teeth soon. That excitement can turn into disappointment rather quickly when you realize that those huge teeth probably aren’t going to fit in your child’s mouth too well. As they come in even more, you may even feel a little panicked, that maybe you should take action, but there won’t be too much you can do until about age 7 or so. As you probably have heard, having crooked teeth makes the possibility of getting tooth decay much more likely since they are hard to clean in between. And tooth decay can also lead to gum disease which is even worse, especially at a young age. While you’re already considering braces or the invisible braces, you might also want to consider the importance of having the teeth and jaws correctly positioned for their bite.
There Is a Condition Called Malocclusion to Ask About
You may already be aware of some types of Malocclusion by their more common names such as overbite, underbite, open bite, crowded teeth, and crossbite. These are important since they can all lead to uneven wear of the teeth, the inadvertent biting of the cheeks, stress on the gums, and eventually jawbone pain.
These are all good reasons to start seeing a qualified orthodontist when your children turn about 7 or so and keep regular visits as their adult teeth grow in. Even if your orthodontist doesn’t recommend any particular treatment on the first visit, they can relieve some of the worry that you might have about future treatments and care. Once you have visited the orthodontist you’ll also have a better idea of when to return for a follow-up. Plus, you’ll also get some instructions on what to be aware of in your child’s normal, day-to-day brushing and flossing in order to avoid any decay problems due to the misalignment of teeth.
After You’ve Had Braces Installed There Are Important Care Considerations
Although it will seem to be far into the future at first, eventually braces do come off and a beautiful smile will be exposed for all to see. However, it would be very sad to have not taken good care of the teeth and braces to end up with a mouth full of decayed and diseased teeth. For this reason, your orthodontist will strongly recommend a cleaning and flossing regimen that will ensure the teeth are kept healthy. All that is needed is to religiously follow the instructions and get regular visits to your local dental clinic well.
Another part of post-orthodontic care involves the wearing of what is called a retainer. This is because teeth are not actually rooted into the jawbone, but instead merely float in the gums above it. So, without the retainer, the teeth would naturally drift back to their original places before you had braces. Luckily, there are now clear plastic retainers available that can easily be removed for times when you don’t want it seen, like photos or special events, then replaced as necessary.
If you’re worried about the need for braces for your young children, you should set an early appointment with your orthodontist just to relieve the stress. Most likely, you’ll still need to wait a few more years but you’ll know exactly what to expect and when to return as well.