Braces for Baby Teeth
Orthodontia evokes different emotions from different people. Kids fear the pain and embarrassment, parents fear the cost, and orthodontists fear that no likes them. (Just kidding on that last one!) It can be one of the best oral health investments a family can make, considering the long-term benefits to those with straight teeth, but it can also be a complex and puzzling process. We're not going to be able to answer all of the questions but we're going to try to iron out some of the wrinkles.
We've been hearing more and more about kids getting braces put on their baby teeth. We've heard from parents who think it's a racket. (It's not.) We've heard from kids who think it's torture. (They're not thinking long-term.) And we've heard from dentists and orthodontists who are proud to produce even better results for the families that they serve.
The process for early orthodontia tends to come in two phases: 1. a retainer to correct cross-bite; 2. braces on the front teeth and the back molars. Braces on the front teeth begin to correct the over-bite. While the canines and side molars are left free, they do benefit from the straightening of the front and back teeth. The goal of this early bracing is to lead to a shorter term of bracing on the adult teeth. In some cases, the early bracing eliminates the need for any braces later on.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends checking kids by the age of 7 to see if they will need orthodontic care. It's possible that failure to do so will lead to malformation of the jaw and possible overcrowding of the adult teeth. This early intervention will likely lead to a decrease in aggressive action later, like extraction.
In the case of thumb-suckers there is the possibility of the upper jaw narrowing early which can lead to cross bite. Failure to take action on a cross bite situation can lead to bad long-term consequences since it doesn't self-correct. Fortunately, early intervention on cross-bite is fairly easy and non-invasive.
Severe over-crowding of adult teeth can be addressed with early bracing. It can be helpful to think of baby teeth as place-holders for adult teeth. When the baby teeth are spaced correctly, the adult teeth will be spaced more correctly. In this case, long-term cost and comfort can be improved by early intervention.
Canine Impaction and Blocked Adult Tooth Eruption are two of the consequences that early bracing can help avoid. The canine teeth basically guide the spacing of all other teeth in any given mouth so helping them early will help the spacing of the others. Failure to address the canines might lead to the blocked eruption where adult teeth fail to break through the gums. This scenario can lead to cysts or painful and damaging extractions long-term so just chalk these cases up as reasons from prevention.
Getting folks excited about braces is like pulling teeth except, of course, that pulling teeth is often one of the long-term consequences we're trying to avoid. Anyway, while the health benefits of straight and healthy teeth are many, it's also important to remember the social and professional benefits that go along with a winning smile. Our next topic will be adult braces so stay tuned and keep thinking about the future. (of your teeth!)
We've been hearing more and more about kids getting braces put on their baby teeth. We've heard from parents who think it's a racket. (It's not.) We've heard from kids who think it's torture. (They're not thinking long-term.) And we've heard from dentists and orthodontists who are proud to produce even better results for the families that they serve.
The process for early orthodontia tends to come in two phases: 1. a retainer to correct cross-bite; 2. braces on the front teeth and the back molars. Braces on the front teeth begin to correct the over-bite. While the canines and side molars are left free, they do benefit from the straightening of the front and back teeth. The goal of this early bracing is to lead to a shorter term of bracing on the adult teeth. In some cases, the early bracing eliminates the need for any braces later on.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends checking kids by the age of 7 to see if they will need orthodontic care. It's possible that failure to do so will lead to malformation of the jaw and possible overcrowding of the adult teeth. This early intervention will likely lead to a decrease in aggressive action later, like extraction.
In the case of thumb-suckers there is the possibility of the upper jaw narrowing early which can lead to cross bite. Failure to take action on a cross bite situation can lead to bad long-term consequences since it doesn't self-correct. Fortunately, early intervention on cross-bite is fairly easy and non-invasive.
Severe over-crowding of adult teeth can be addressed with early bracing. It can be helpful to think of baby teeth as place-holders for adult teeth. When the baby teeth are spaced correctly, the adult teeth will be spaced more correctly. In this case, long-term cost and comfort can be improved by early intervention.
Canine Impaction and Blocked Adult Tooth Eruption are two of the consequences that early bracing can help avoid. The canine teeth basically guide the spacing of all other teeth in any given mouth so helping them early will help the spacing of the others. Failure to address the canines might lead to the blocked eruption where adult teeth fail to break through the gums. This scenario can lead to cysts or painful and damaging extractions long-term so just chalk these cases up as reasons from prevention.
Getting folks excited about braces is like pulling teeth except, of course, that pulling teeth is often one of the long-term consequences we're trying to avoid. Anyway, while the health benefits of straight and healthy teeth are many, it's also important to remember the social and professional benefits that go along with a winning smile. Our next topic will be adult braces so stay tuned and keep thinking about the future. (of your teeth!)
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