In the modern day, it is hard for people to appreciate how much their ancestors suffered from the lack of orthodontic treatment. These days, people in the United States alone spend more than $12 billion each year on the services of orthodontists. That is just some indicator of how much value the orthodontic industry provides in this country.
Everybody is different, and some children benefit from orthodontic treatment earlier than others. But how are you supposed to know if your child needs early orthodontic treatment or not? Fortunately, there are several signs that can let you know whether now or later would be the best time for your child to see an orthodontist.
Read on to learn all about the most important telltale signs that your child needs early orthodontic treatment!
1. Your Child’s Teeth Stick Out
Does your child need braces? One simple way to tell is to look at the arrangement of their teeth. The more their teeth stick out from their mouth, the more likely they are to need an early orthodontic screening.
You might also be able to tell that your child has this problem if they have an unusually frequent tendency to bite their lip. Many kinds of crooked teeth can wait until later in life to receive treatment, but teeth that stick out from the mouth too far should be treated as soon as possible.
2. Your Child’s Teeth Are Crowded Against Each Other
If you want to know how to tell your child needs braces, check if their teeth are crowded against each other. An especially good time to check this is after your child loses a baby tooth.
In most cases, a child who loses a baby tooth will soon start to grow an adult tooth in the same place. However, if there is not enough room in your child’s job for the adult tooth, it may not grow out.
Check any places where your child loses a baby tooth for a few weeks for any signs of an adult tooth coming in. If you see none, that may indicate that your child’s teeth require early orthodontic treatment.
If your child bites their tongue unusually frequently, this can also be some indication that their teeth are growing in the wrong places.
3. Your Child Tends Not to Breathe Through Their Nose
Of course, straight teeth are about more than just cosmetics or even just oral care and health. The right dental health for kids can affect their quality of sleep and breathing.
The most natural way to breathe for most people is through the nose. However, if their teeth are oriented in the wrong way, this can be very difficult. Sometimes, people start breathing through their mouths because their teeth make it difficult for them to easily breathe through their noses.
This can cause further problems when it is time for your child to sleep. If you notice that your child tends to snore, one possible cause of that is that they have crooked teeth that require early orthodontic treatment.
On top of that, children with misaligned teeth may have a habit of grinding their teeth in their sleep. All of these tendencies can lower the quality of sleep your child enjoys and lead to decreased energy throughout the day.
4. Your Child Sucks Their Thumb
Some people think of children sucking their thumbs as harmless. However, it can actually lead to very practical disadvantages. If your child has spent a lot of time sucking their thumb, it may eventually push their teeth in an outward direction.
Left alone, this can develop into any or all of the signs that we have discussed so far. On top of everything else, this misalignment can lead to difficulty with eating.
5. Your Child Has an Underbite
When a child sucks their thumb, this can also lead to the development of an underbite. Children can also develop underbites for all kinds of other reasons. Whatever the cause, an underbite is another sign that your child might need early orthodontic treatment.
Treating this problem when a child is young can prevent the need for more intense orthodontic work when your child is older. Left alone, the problem may get worse and worse until it becomes critical.
6. Your Child Has Difficulty Speaking
When a child has difficulty speaking, there are many possible causes. Many parents worry about neural or social development problems. Compared to these, simply having misaligned teeth can be quite a mild issue.
If your child has a speech impediment, it is possible that their teeth are partially responsible.
All of these issues can be potentially solved or ameliorated through proper orthodontic treatment. On top of that, early orthodontic treatment can help your child’s face to grow symmetrically as they get older.
Getting orthodontic treatment when they are young can also mean that your child has shorter appointments and needs less overall orthodontic care over the course of their life.
Understand the Most Important Signs That Your Child Needs Early Orthodontic Treatment
We hope learning about the signs that your child needs early orthodontic treatment has been helpful for you. Many parents wait until their children are older before considering orthodontic treatment. Unfortunately, some of them are then surprised to find out that the teeth of their children have developed in an especially difficult way.
In many cases, prevention is much more efficient and affordable than cure. To learn more about how to know if your child needs early orthodontic treatment or to speak with orthodontic experts who might be able to help you, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!