9 Reasons Why Early [Orthodontic] Treatment Saves Time, Money and Effort

If your child has crooked teeth, then early treatment with orthodontic devices is recommended. In the past, parents were told to wait until a child was an adolescent to begin orthodontic treatment to repair her malocclusions, but today, experts believe that it is better to start repairing a child’s teeth at the age of seven. There are several reasons why you will want intervention orthodontic treatment for your young child.

Reason 1: Preventing Uncomfortable Mouth Breathing Caused By Misaligned Teeth

When your child has misaligned teeth, it can make it difficult to breathe during the day or at night because it is impossible to close or open the mouth correctly. If your daughter has poorly spaced teeth, then she may have sinus congestion that requires breathing through the mouth instead of the nose. Breathing through the mouth can lead to dry oral tissues that become inflamed easily, and a child will also have more colds because her sinus cavity isn’t filtering dangerous pathogens.

Reason 2: Repairing Oral Health Problems Caused By Thumb-sucking

If a child sucks his thumb or fingers, then he is applying pressure against his front teeth constantly, disrupting the proper positions of his teeth. Early childhood is the best time to fix the malocclusions caused by sucking the fingers or thumb. A young child has softer bones in his jawbone, making it easier and faster to have misaligned teeth pushed back into the correct positions.

Reason 3: Preventing Speech Impediments

When your son has wide gaps between his teeth, it is difficult for him to make certain sounds while talking. An orthodontist can recommend the proper treatment to repair malocclusions of the teeth that lead to poor speech sounds. With early treatment for crooked teeth, your son can avoid having a major speech impediment that will require intensive therapy to overcome.

Reason 4: Making It Easier To Chew Nutritious Food

If your daughter doesn’t want to eat tough foods such as meat or vegetables, then she may have a bad bite. With a proper bite, your daughter can chew fresh vegetables or red meat to ensure that she is consuming enough nutrients. While undergoing orthodontic treatment, your daughter must eat soft foods to protect her brackets and wires, but when her treatment ends, she can chew tough foods. With a better bite, your child can have a healthier body and mind with good nutritional habits.

Reason 5: Orthodontic Treatment Is Faster At a Younger Age

Because younger children are developing quickly, they have softer bones that won’t resist orthodontic treatment. While a teenager or adult may need to wear a lot of headgear or have surgery to correct a jawbone malformation, with the right type of orthodontic treatment, a young child only needs to wear brackets and wires to adjust her teeth. With faster orthodontic treatment, you will spend less money on appointments with an orthodontist, and you won’t need to have as many appointments.

Reason 6: Fixing Major Facial Abnormalities Is Easier

When your son has a major facial abnormality such as a cleft palate or lip, orthodontic treatment is vital to repair the problem. At an orthodontic facility, your son can receive treatment with palate expanders and other devices so that by the time he is a teenager, his face will have a normal appearance. The orthodontic team will work closely with a child’s pediatrician to repair congenital facial abnormalities.

Reason 7: Improving a Child’s Self-esteem

It is important for a young child to have the best self-esteem so that he won’t feel anxious or depressed. Having straighter teeth can improve your son’s self-esteem because he won’t experience teasing from his peers. Today, children and teenagers notice how their friends’ teeth look, so it is important to have your son’s teeth straightened at a young age. With brackets and wires, it is possible to fix a child’s teeth at a young age to protect his self-esteem.

Reason 8: Making It Easier To Brush and Floss

If your child has overcrowded or crooked teeth, then it is difficult to brush or floss correctly, leading to cavities, halitosis and gingivitis. With orthodontic treatment, your child will have teeth that are spaced properly, making it easier to remove food particles with a toothbrush. In addition, your child can use floss to remove additional food debris from his mouth. Instead of having oral health problems from tooth decay, your child will have healthy and strong teeth.

Reason 9: Removal Of Unnecessary Teeth

Occasionally, a child will have extra teeth that will lead to overcrowding in her mouth. In most cases, supernumerary teeth are located toward the back of the mouth.  And many teenagers or young adults need to have wisdom teeth removed to prevent excruciating pain. However, it is possible for a child to have extra teeth in his mouth at a young age, and these supernumerary teeth will change the alignment of the other teeth, leading to a bad bite and unattractive smile.

Contact Gluck Orthodontics

When you are looking for an orthodontist who treats young children, schedule an appointment with Gluck Orthodontics in Nashville, Tenn. Our orthodontic team understands how to provide personalized orthodontic treatments for young children to repair minor to major malocclusions of their teeth. We have two knowledgeable orthodontists available:

• Dr. Jonathan Gluck
• Dr. Joel Gluck

At our orthodontic facility, the residents from Green Hills and Hillsboro Village can enjoy a variety of orthodontic treatments, including:

• Ceramic braces – made with clear or color-matching brackets and thin wires
• Traditional braces – made with metallic wires and brackets
• Invisalign aligners – appropriate for teenagers and adults with minor malocclusions

We can supply an AcceleDent Aura device for our patients to use at home. This stimulates the growth of alveolar bone in the mouth. To schedule your child’s first orthodontic appointment visit our website or call us at 615-269-5903 today.

Gluck Orthodontics
2002 Richard Jones Road
Suite A-200 Nashville
TN 37215
Phone: 615 269 5903

9 Reasons Why Early [Orthodontic] Treatment Saves Time, Money and Effort

joelgluck

Dr. Joel Gluck has practiced orthodontics since 1983 when he opened his own office in Nashville. He earned his undergraduate degree at Washington University in St. Louis, and his dental degree at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Gluck then completed an orthodontic specialty residency at the University of Michigan, one of the top five orthodontic training residencies in the country. He also wrote an original thesis and received a Master of Science degree.