Dental experts mention oral health should begin at an early age. In children, baby teeth fall off by the age of 5 or 6, replaced by permanent teeth. Severe decay in baby teeth can make your child uncomfortable, affect their eating and sleeping, and cause problems in the development of permanent teeth.
Many people get confused between dentists and orthodontists and think both are the same. However, dentistry and orthodontics are two branches of dentistry, and the latter is a specialty that deals with specific dental problems. Here are some services provided by a child orthodontist.
Crowded Teeth
Many children have crooked teeth that lead to chewing and speech problems. Also known as dental crowding, crowded teeth are a dental condition when there is not enough space for permanent growth. An orthodontist can fix crowded teeth in your child using braces, at-home aligners, and Invisalign.Overlapping Teeth
The overlapping tooth is a form of misalignment of your teeth, leading to several dental problems. Some children have one overlapping tooth, while some have many. An orthodontist will analyze your child's teeth and jawbone and recommend correct treatments like veneers, braces, and clear aligners. The orthodontist may extract a crooked tooth that cannot be aligned in severe cases.Problems with Jaw Growth
Dental experts mention jaw growth is a gradual and slow process. In some children, the lower or upper jaw grows too little or too much, resulting in jaw deformity. In some kids, the growth of both jaws is affected. Dental experts mention these jaw deformities can be mild or severe, and some might need surgical intervention.The abnormal growth of one or both jaws can affect teeth alignment, and your child may have difficulties in chewing and speaking. Improper bite due to misalignment of teeth or jaws can also lead to other dental problems.
An orthodontist can treat different problems with jaw growth in your child. He may perform a thorough diagnosis of jaw deformities through a detailed physical and complete dental evaluation.
Based on the evaluation and findings, the child orthodontist may suggest orthodontic appliances like braces, palatal expanders, and arch retainers to treat various jaw growth problems. The orthodontist may perform corrective surgery to improve jaw alignment in severe jaw deformities.
Problems with Tooth Development
The replacement of baby teeth by permanent teeth is a crucial stage in your child's dentition. However, some children face problems in baby teeth and permanent teeth development. Here are some problems in tooth development that an orthodontist can treat.Baby Teeth Refuse to Budge
In general, baby teeth fall off by the age of 5 or 6 and make way to permanent teeth. Dentists mention permanent teeth are lying in wait beneath your child's baby teeth. In normal tooth development, the baby's teeth roots dissolve, making way to permanent teeth.In some cases, the baby tooth root does not dissolve, preventing the eruption of permanent teeth. In some cases, the baby tooth fuses with the jawbone, and the orthodontist has to extract the milk tooth to make way for the permanent tooth to grow.
Impacted Tooth
Some children develop impacted tooth development where the baby tooth completely blocks the development of permanent teeth. In some children, permanent teeth erupt at an angle that pushes neighbouring teeth.The treatment of impacted teeth depends on their position. In some cases, the orthodontist may extract impacted teeth or perform any teeth straightening procedures to optimize your child's dental function and smile.
To sum up, these are some services you can get at kid orthodontists. If your kid is suffering from any problem discussed above, you should take your child to an orthodontist.