Orthodontist for kids
Almost every day, people ask me, “Does my child need braces?” When is it considered an appropriate age to explore orthodontic treatment for my child? Should we wait until all the permanent teeth have come in and the baby teeth have fallen out? Why are so many young kids wearing braces on their front teeth?
Not all kids need braces. Some don’t need orthodontic treatment, some could benefit, and some really need it.
As a parent, I understand how hard it can be to make decisions for your child healthcare. This is especially true when dealing with complex technical matters like orthodontic services.
Some would argue that too many kids are in orthodontic treatment these days. The competitive market in dentistry has been in general blamed for the over-treatment trend. I won’t completely disagree on the increasing rate of over treatment. In fact, good scientific statistical data shows that doctors over treat patients in the US.
We recommend a first orthodontic evaluation up to the age 7, regardless of your child’s treatment needs. This is before all permanent teeth have come in. Some parents wait till the dentist tells them to take their child to an orthodontist.
Needless to say that if you notice your child’s bite has problems like bottom teeth and lower jaw is ahead of the upper jaw. That is a health problem with growth of jaws. You should schedule an orthodontic evaluation even if your kid has only baby teeth – 3-4 years old. To be clear that doesn’t mean that this kid needs orthodontic treatment right away for some patients.
Waiting for a dentist referral can be risky because dentists may not catch major issues like orthodontists can. Dentists focus on oral health and tooth decay, not specialized orthodontic problems. Dentists do not always evaluate orthodontic needs during general oral health and dental check up. In fact, how many times that you went for your regular teeth cleaning and only spent time with the oral hygienist.
Orthodontic screening is often free and doesn’t require a lot of time. The benefit of this screening appointment could be the difference between getting braces with jaw surgery or just braces. Children orthodontists can modify growth to correct crossbite, crooked teeth, and malocclusion related to skeletal issues.
Each child’s dental growth is unique and may not align with their chronological age. Dental age can vary from chronological age. I will check if your child needs early orthodontic treatment, also known as Phase I orthodontic care, at their first appointment.
High percentage of self-referred patients don’t need phase I early treatment. At orthodontic visits, we use digital records like mouth scans and xrays to follow changes in your child’s teeth growth. These records help us monitor how your child’s mouth and teeth are growing and moving over time.
By regularly taking these digital records, we can ensure that your child’s orthodontic treatment is progressing as planned. Monitoring these changes allows us to make any necessary adjustments to their treatment plan. We might follow up with multiple orthodontic check-up before any treatment recommendations.
Orthodontists focus on early skeletal and dental problems when treating children. Orthodontic treatment can fix issues like a small upper jaw, openbite from thumb sucking, or crossbite (bad bite).
Different kind of braces are used for children. Pediatric dentist are great in identifying some of the early misalignment. Orthodontists can use different types of braces, archwires, and clear plastic aligners for an orthodontic treatment plan. Dental insurances partially covers the payment plans for metal brackets or other kinds of braces.
Orthodontic treatment can be simple. You just need to wear a custom-made mouthguard to protect your front teeth. It’s also important to keep up with regular dental care checkups.
Phase I treatment for kids is a highly specific limited orthodontic treatment. Braces typically last for one year. They can help fix a child’s teeth, eliminate bad habits, and improve crowded teeth. Retainers will hold the teeth in place after this phase of treatment.
At PORTH, we take a careful approach to treating kids as they move from baby teeth to adult teeth.
Typically, this treatment will take up to 12 months to complete and it does not involve all of the child’s teeth. Sometimes, children who complete the first phase of braces treatment may require a second round. This is usually necessary when all of their adult teeth have grown in.
The purpose of the second round is to address specific issues with their teeth. Click to learn more about phase II treatment for teens. Various orthodontic appliances can be used for this phase like tooth-colored braces, clear aligners or even teen lingual braces.
It is hard. You have to trust the professionals. Orthodontists had extensive training to screen your kids for treatment.
It is smart to get 2-3 opinions. More than 3 will leave you with lots of confusion. At any rate, parents should be aware of the following warning signs.
Gaps between your child’s teeth will often close by themselves as more adult teeth come in. Sometimes, however, gaps appear when a child’s jaw bone is too big. If you notice gaps in your child’s smile, an orthodontic screening should be performed.
Some adult teeth might appear crowded during the early stages of growth. Sometimes these problems will resolve themselves over time, but it’s always best to consult your dentist or orthodontist early on.
If your child is sucking their thumb after the age of five, it might be a cause for concern. Thumb sucking at an older age can lead to problems with your child’s teeth alignment, jaw development, speech and face shape.
Multiple factors can contribute to your child primarily breathing from their mouth. Habits, large tonsils, small arches are some of the common issues. Remember not every kids who is a mouth breather needs orthodontic care. It is important to identify the origin of mouth breathing and fix it before adult teeth are erupted.
This tends to happen when there is overgrowth or undergrowth of the top and/or bottom jaw. Follow this link to our website for visual examples of what to look for. Treatment for teens often address these issues.
No elastics or rubber bands are required with comprehensive orthodontic treatment when all the permanent teeth are present.
The American Association of Orthodontists and the American Dental Association recommend that parents take their children to see an orthodontist by the time they are 7-years-old for an initial examination. By the time a child reaches 7 years of age, they will normally have a mix of both their baby and adult teeth.
At this stage of your child’s oral development, your orthodontist should be able to predict if braces or another orthodontic treatment will be needed in the future. At PORTH, options for braces can include traditional metal braces, clear braces or ceramic braces.
Contrary to popular belief, braces and other orthodontic treatments can provide much more than just the appearance of a straight smile.
The American Association of Orthodontists states that “an improved appearance is the most obvious result. But when teeth and jaws are in alignment, it means function (biting, chewing, speaking) is improved, too.”
The earlier treatment is often easier since the biology works more efficiently. Improvement in self-esteem is one of the tangible out come of early treatment especially these-days with the power of social media. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to floss and clean. By providing your child with braces, you are reducing the risk of dental decay, gum disease, and improve her dental health for the years to come.
Braces aren’t always the only orthodontic treatment option for your child. When treating orthodontic problems early on, there are two types of appliances we use: fixed or removable.
We use various appliances to help children with their dental needs. These include partial braces on front teeth, clear aligners, expanders, headgear, habit appliances, and functional appliances. Self conscious patients could opt for clear aligners and sometime braces in the lower teeth.
Each appliance serves a specific purpose in improving the child’s oral health. Dentists make these tools to help with problems like crooked teeth, gaps, or habits that can impact a child’s dental growth. The goals are to help with potential skeletal issues, to assist with the transition to adult teeth and to make sure your child has straight teeth.
Significant spacing issues or overcrowding especially with poor oral hygiene and presence of tartar could contradict clear aligners for kids. The gum disease like gingivitis or periodontal disease could cause tooth loss in upper teeth or bottom teeth.
Expanding the roof of the mouth is part of phase I treatment for kid. Most kids don’t have enough room for their permanent teeth to erupt.
Your kid might need a palatal expansion to fix to help avoiding impacted teeth or fix the crossbite in patients with narrow palate.
Lost of misinformation is out there about orthodontic expander treating sleep apnea in kids. We see many unwarranted maxillary palatal expanders with the promise of improving narrow upper jaw, breathing better, and a healthy smile. Lots of these hypotheses – often logical – are unfounded.
You should consult with your pediatric sleep physician to first diagnose sleep apnea. Certain group of kids with sleep apnea respond negatively to rapid palatal expander. In other words, the sleep apnea can get worse with maxillary expansion.
Palatal expander works by moving two sides of maxilla especially in kids when the suture is not fused. The suture is closed in adults. The gentle pressure from the palatal expander connected to molars move both sides of the upper jaw.
Two types of palatal expanders are recommended by or
Common reasons for misaligned bite is not dental issues rather the jaw problems. Some of these skeletal jaw problems could cause temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, jaw pains or sleep apnea when the kids is older especially when the lower jaw is very small. Sometime we can fix these issues during adolescence and sometime we have to use adult braces. An orthodontic evaluation could help you to identify the solution for jaw problems.
I recommend that you see 2-3 orthodontists to learn from various opinions on potential treatment. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to find an orthodontist near you.
I recommend that you see 2-3 orthodontists to learn from various opinions on potential treatment. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to find an orthodontist near you.
If you are interested to consult with us, here is more information about our board certified orthodontist. Dr. Rooz is an assistant professor of orthodontics at the University of Washington. He teaches and practices at PORTH, and also works as a consultant for several companies developing new orthodontic appliances.
Dr. Rooz is a father and understands a parent’s need to trust orthodontic specialists who are treating their child. Our team works hard to provide great orthodontic care for all ages, including early intervention orthodontic treatment. Dr. Rooz believes in not over-treating children.
For the most accurate information, it’s best to visit us at PORTH. We also provide helpful information on our website and blog posts.
If you have questions about kids’ braces or want to know the cost, we can provide more information to help you. Feel free to reach out to us for assistance.
We are here to answer any inquiries you may have regarding kids’ braces. Let us know how we can assist you with information on kids’ braces or pricing. Schedule an orthodontic consultation for your child at Bellevue Orthodontics or Sammamish Orthodontics in Washington. You can book online or call (425) 526-2060 or email – care.team@porth.io.
Our team loves working with kids and helping them achieve their best smile! A healthy and beautiful smile can positively impact your child’s everyday life and self-confidence. It helps prevent future oral issues and reduces the chance of injury to your child’s teeth and mouth. We typically start braces treatment for children around the ages of 6-11 years old.
Many kids dentistry clinic are available near PORTH that we collaborate with. Pediatric dentists manage routine check ups, fillings, sealants, fluoride therapy, baby tooth extraction. We work with other provider to maintain overall health and dental health of your kid.
Accessibility to these state of the art pediatric dentists helps us offer great care to all of our young new patients. These pediatric dentists often refer patients through sending patient forms with their orthodontic treatment needs for a free consultation at our clinic.