Phase-one orthodontics’ main purpose is to prep the foundation of your child’s mouth, with its primary focus on the upper jaw. By doing so, it ensures that there’s plenty of room for adult teeth to grow in straight while simultaneously opening up the airway to support healthy breathing during sleep. In most cases, an orthodontic palatal expander is used, which gently widens the upper jaw over a few months by using the palate’s natural, developing growth line.
Speaking of developing growth, there are certain indicators that you may need to tap into expert dental care for your child. Below are 7 early signs that your child will need orthodontic help and how it aids your child in the long run.
They have a severe overbite or underbite.
Take a look at your child’s teeth, specifically their upper front teeth. If they excessively stick out over their lower teeth, it means that there’s skeletal misalignment. Similarly, if the lower jaw protrudes past the upper teeth, then it’s also considered skeletal misalignment. If these are left unattended, your child could have problems whenever they chew or speak, develop jaw strain, and even have a higher risk of cavities, among many things.
They have an open bite.
An open bite happens when there is a visible gap between the upper and lower front teeth, despite your child biting their teeth together. Similar to the aforementioned, this condition could also lead to a multitude of issues, such as developing a lisp, jaw pain, difficulty chewing, or even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.
They have a crossbite.
Another dental misalignment that you should look out for is if your child has a crossbite. You can spot a crossbite in the way that the upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth when biting down. Normally, the upper teeth should rest on the outside, so if you notice your children’s upper teeth are like this when they close their mouths, there’s a sure chance they have a crossbite. Like every other dental misalignment, this could also lead to jaw pain, headaches, uneven tooth wear, and even gum recession. So, it’s best to catch this issue at first light, given how it’s not just a cosmetic concern.
As children grow, they tend to lose their baby teeth, which is perfectly normal. However, the way their permanent teeth erupt can indicate crucial clues about how much room they have in their mouths.
There’s severe crowding or overlapping of their teeth.
Once you notice your child’s permanent teeth are growing in overlapping, twisted, or stacked behind each other, this usually indicates that their jaw is too small to accommodate their new teeth. This is where expanders come in, as they help create the needed room for their teeth without resorting to future extractions.
They either have premature or late loss of baby teeth.
We all know that baby teeth don’t last forever. They’re practically placeholders until the permanent and “adult” teeth start coming in. Although it’s a given that children are bound to lose their baby teeth, you should be mindful if your child loses their baby tooth too early, be it due to injury or tooth decay. Likewise, it’s also concerning if they also hold onto them way past the average age. In the case of the latter, their permanent teeth may erupt misaligned, causing not only issues but also pain and discomfort to your child.
Now, although the aforementioned factors are visible indicators of teeth issues, you also need to keep an eye out for your child’s behavior and mouth functions daily.
They’re constantly breathing through their mouths.
Mouth breathing is not common, unless, of course, you’re suffering from a clogged nose; in cases like that, it’s acceptable to breathe through your mouth. But if your child mainly breathes through their mouth, this could lead to problems in the long run. For one, it could change the development of their facial muscles by narrowing their upper jaw over time. Ultimately, it could lead to crowded teeth, so it’s best to schedule a dental appointment at the first sign of mouth breathing.
They’re still thumb- or finger-sucking.
It’s a common habit among babies to suck their thumbs, but if your child still does this past the age of four or five, then maybe it’s time for dental intervention. Thumb or finger sucking is not ideal in growing children since this gesture can physically pull their front teeth forward, thus creating an open bite by altering the shape of the roof of the mouth.
Catching early signs of orthodontic issues doesn’t always lead to braces; sometimes, these can be easily remedied as long as you look out for their habits, bite misalignments, and crowded spacing. Recognizing these issues and behaviors from the get-go allows your dentist to guide your child’s dental development without resorting to invasive treatment as they age.
