Kami Hoss aka the super dentist has how own practice which combines dentistry and orthodontics under one roof. His aim is to change the world one smile at a time.
One of the frequent questions from guardians is when should my child see an orthodontist’? Well it has been shown that children as young as seven can benefit from an orthodontist and braces in some cases. A dentist will only recommend this course of action and that your child sees an orthodontist, at this age, when it is extremely necessary. Sometimes your dentist will be an orthodontist too or may be able to refer one to you from the same practice. During the appointment with the orthodontist, if deemed required the professional will look at your child’s smile. In some cases, they will postpone treatment and set up frequent meetings to keep a very close eye on the situation, to see if things go in the right or wrong direction, so to speak but in others they will recommend that something is done now. If this is the case you need to make a repeat appointment as soon as you can.
- At this young age the dentist will look for baby teeth that have lasted too long or not long enough
- They should be gone between the ages of five and fourteen
- They will look at the effect that sucking your thumb might have had on the teeth. If this is continued after age four
- They will look at any speech impediments , lisps or slurring being the most common of these
- They will look for any overcrowding of the front teeth
The benefits of early treatment can be very far reaching for your child’s development. Some problems are better treated at a young age while the jaw bone is still growing. This means that the treatment can guide the growth of the jaw bone in the preferred direction and change its position and width which may improve the life of the child. Also, if treatment can be done before the adult teeth are emerging then there can be more space to get things in the right places. When the jaw bone strops growing and hardens orthodontic treatment becomes more difficult and painful. It is not possible to do this for adults and alternative solutions would have to be found, that could be more traumatic, such as surgery or the removal of teeth and may also need drugs to help ease the pain.
So, what will this early treatment involve? It is likely to include fixable braces although removable are more frequently used these days. For protruding front teeth then a twin block brace is usually the preferred course of action these days. This will re position the jaws to help alleviate the problem. Sometimes a renewable brace and a fixed brace may eventually be necessary but the super dentist and orthodontist will keep a close eye on the problem and will advise you on the best course of action at all times.