Orthodontics For Children
Orthodontic treatment gently and gradually moves the teeth, straightening them and improving the way they look and function.
It can also help to give your child a great start in life, providing them with a beautiful smile that will help boost their confidence and self-esteem.
At Dublin Orthodontics, we like to see children for their initial assessment at around the age of 7. This doesn't necessarily mean we start treatment at this age, but it allows us to plan for the future. Early evaluation helps us to spot potential problems at an early stage, and enable us to provide more effective treatment.
In most cases children start treatment when most of their baby teeth are shed, usually at about age 11.
Timing of orthodontic treatment is important and may enhance jaw growth providing an optimum facial appearance.
Specially designed orthodontic mouthguards are included in the cost of your treatment.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child visit an orthodontist by age seven or even sooner if a problem is detected by parents or the family dentist. The first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in by that time and crossbites, crowding, and other problems can be evaluated. The timing of orthodontic treatment is extremely important, so early evaluation provides both timely detection of problems and greater opportunity for more effective treatment.
When treatment is begun early, the orthodontist can guide the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. In other words, early treatment can sometimes simplify later treatment. However, the optimum age in most cases for orthodontic treatment is just before all the baby teeth are shed at about 11 years of age.
