How to Know If Your Child Needs Braces

As your child’s teeth start emerging, you might notice issues like teeth misalignment, crowded teeth, or crooked teeth. If you fail to address these oral issues early, they can persist for a lifetime, resulting in discomfort and pain in the child’s mouth, gum disease, sleep apnea, and bruxism, among other challenges. Also, a child may feel unconfident if they deem their smile unattractive. Braces are a transformative tool in orthodontics, effectively aligning your child’s teeth, reshaping their smile, and improving their dental health. But how will you know whether your child requires braces? In this blog post, you will learn the dental signs that indicate your child needs orthodontic treatment and how early intervention could help obtain optimal results.

Your Child has Sleep Apnea

Orthodontic problems like misaligned teeth can cause airway narrowing and increase the chances of airway obstruction during sleep.

Also, crooked teeth can change the position of your child’s tongue, among other soft tissue in the mouth, causing tissue encroachment on the airway and breathing challenges. That is how obstructive sleep apnea occurs.

The relationship between sleep apnea and crooked teeth is not one-sided. While misaligned teeth can increase the likelihood of developing sleep apnea, the disrupted sleep patterns due to sleep apnea can worsen the misalignment, affecting jaw development and growth.

Early intervention using braces could unblock the airways and keep the jaw aligned and the tongue in place. Consequently, it enhances your child’s sleep quality, breathing, and general wellness.

You Want to Prevent Future Oral Health Problems, Bad Breath, and Other Diseases

Early orthodontic intervention can act as a proactive measure to avoid more severe oral health issues, including tooth decay, gum disease, and even potential loss of teeth, ensuring optimal oral health for your child for years to come.

For instance, misaligned teeth create angles and spaces that could be challenging for floss or a toothbrush to reach, resulting in food debris and plaque accumulation. The buildup can result in gum disease and cavities, further damaging tooth structure or even causing tooth loss.

Crooked teeth harbor bacteria, predisposing your child to halitosis (bad breath). While you can combat the unpleasant smell by using breath freshening products and mouthwash, orthodontic appliances like braces to rectify the teeth misalignment is the most effective solution.

Additionally, the harmful bacteria in your mouth can enter your child’s bloodstream and increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

The Minor has a Thumb Sucking Habit

Many children suck on their thumbs. Although it may not result in major oral health issues, for most children, it could result in problems that need treatment, especially if the behavior continues beyond age five.

These issues can affect the following:

• Jaw — The child’s top jawbone could narrow and fail to match the lower one, resulting in a crossbite. A child’s thumb may also cause a gap between the top and bottom teeth, resulting in an open-bite.
• Teeth misalignment — Visible changes in a child’s front teeth might indicate that the child often sucks the thumb. The pressure from the child’s hand could also cause their bottom or upper front teeth to shift forward.
• Facial shape — Your child’s jaw influences the shape of their face. An overbite that presses the child’s front teeth forward to accommodate their thumb could alter the shape and appearance of their face.
• Speech — An open-bite could impact the child’s speech, creating a lisp whenever the child pronounces “s” and “z” sounds.

If thumb sucking has already caused jaw or teeth misalignment, your dentist or orthodontist can use braces to realign teeth misalignment and rectify bite challenges. Additionally, the wires in the braces can prevent the child’s thumb from making contact with the gums behind their front teeth and lower the satisfaction from thumb-sucking. Eventually, this assists in breaking the habit altogether.

Loss of Baby Teeth Too Early or Late

The timing of your child’s tooth loss could also indicate the minor requires braces. If the baby loses their baby teeth very early or late, it could impact the eruption of their adult teeth. Premature tooth loss can cause adjacent teeth to shift into the gap, resulting in misalignment, crowding, or challenges with the eruption of permanent teeth.  On the other hand, delayed baby tooth loss could block adult teeth from erupting correctly, causing crooked or crowded teeth.

If you notice unusual tooth eruption or loss patterns, the orthodontist could assess whether your child requires braces. Early intervention using braces can ensure your child’s permanent teeth erupt correctly.

You Want to Lower the Risk of Bruxism

Bruxism is a dental condition involving clenching or grinding teeth, especially while asleep. The condition could cause discomfort and pain in your child’s face and jaw. It could also cause headaches and tooth 

decay. Braces may assist in reducing the possibility of developing bruxism by rectifying the misaligned teeth and helping your child relax their jaw muscles.

Jaw Clicking or Popping

Your child may need braces if there is a clicking or popping sound in their jaw when waking up, biting, or eating. It could indicate an issue with their temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Disorders associated with TMJs can cause pain and discomfort, but braces may rectify the problem and alleviate the symptoms.

Braces exert gentle pressure on a person’s jaws and teeth, shifting them into proper positions over time. During the TMJ treatment, the benefits of braces include the following:

• Correcting misalignment — Braces can address a child’s teeth misalignments and rectify an uneven bite, which can trigger TMJ symptoms.
• Enhancing the jaw position — When braces align your child’s jaw correctly, they alleviate the strain on their temporomandibular joints, reducing TMJ-related pain and discomfort.
• Balancing a child’s bite — Braces can optimize the bite force, ensuring your child’s upper and lower teeth align well. The balanced bite could lower the pressure on the jaw, alleviating the TMJ symptoms.
• Supporting orthodontics treatment — Temporomandibular joint issues could, in some cases, coexist along with other orthodontic challenges. Braces can address oral concerns relating to TMJs and other dental problems, providing a practical treatment approach.

To harness the full benefits of braces, contact your dental professional for a consultation to learn how orthodontic treatment can provide your child with the best outcomes.

Your Child Has Speech Problems or Difficulty Pronouncing Certain Sounds

Do you know that teeth alignment affects speech? If your child struggles with specific elements of speech, it could be due to their teeth. The section below discusses various speech challenges and how braces can assist.

• Mispronunciation — When your child’s tongue is incorrect, consonants like “t” and “d” can be challenging to pronounce. These sounds require tongue-to-tongue contact. Braces can place teeth where they should for improved pronunciation.
• Word slurring— The tongue should be able to move about freely so that a person can communicate effectively and clearly. Misaligned tooth placement and jaw structure can restrict movement, leading to slurred speech. When braces align your child’s teeth, the tongue has more room to move.
• Whistling or lisp — Whistles or lisping develop due to open bites (when the tongue fails to connect with your child’s roof of the mouth). It occurs when pronouncing words with the letter “z” or s.” People with an open bite pronounce these words as if they have the letters ’th” instead of an ’s.” Your dentist can use braces to correct the open bite.

You want to Encourage Your Child to Maintain a Proper Oral Hygiene Routine

Maintaining excellent dental hygiene protects your child’s gums and teeth. Braces can make their oral routine easier as they grow. Braces help do the following:

• Enhance brushing and flossing — Braces require certain adjustments to your child’s dental care routine, but they can encourage thorough brushing and flossing. Orthodontists provide the appropriate oral kits and techniques for effective home cleaning, enabling your child to maintain good dental health during and after the braces treatment.
• Routine orthodontic check-ups — During your child’s orthodontic treatment, they will have regular appointments. These check-ups are for the orthodontist to clean and adjust the braces, ensuring your child’s dental treatment stays on course.
• Oral hygiene education — After your child receives braces, the orthodontist will teach them the appropriate dental hygiene routines, including cleaning around the wires and brackets. The knowledge will serve them well even after the orthodontist removes their braces, empowering them for a lifetime of good dental hygiene practices.

The Minor Has Chewing and Bite Issues

Since misaligned teeth do not fit together correctly, your child will likely face challenges breaking down food into smaller, easier-to-digest particles. Inadequate chewing can affect digestion; larger food particles can be more challenging to digest and absorb into the bloodstream.

Orthodontic treatments can correct the following bite issues:

• Overbite — Braces can help shift back your child’s upper teeth, ensuring they do not overlap the bottom teeth.
• Open bite — It is characterized by a gap between the lower and upper front teeth when jaws are closed. Braces can close the open bite by directing the teeth into where they coexist correctly.
• Underbite — It happens when your child’s lower front teeth protrude beyond their upper front teeth. It can be due to incorrect jaw development, thumb sucking, or genetics.
• Crossbite — It describes when the lower teeth cover at least one upper tooth when your child bites. It can impact the appearance of lips and teeth and cause abnormal facial development, teeth grinding, and jaw problems in the teeth at the mouth’s back.

On top of improving chewing and digestion, correcting the juvenile’s bite:

• Prevents tooth damage — A functional bite distributes force evenly among every tooth, lowering the risk of fractures, chips, and premature wear.
• Lowers strain on jaw joints and muscles — Alleviating stress on your child’s jaw reduces symptoms of jaw-related discomfort and diseases, including TMJ disorder

You Want to Fix Your Child’s Teeth Overcrowding

Teeth crowding occurs when your child’s teeth fail to fit comfortably or properly in their jaw. Some children are born with a tinier jaw that does not permit every emerging tooth to fit well. Other children have unusually huge teeth that grow behind each other. Other causes of dental overcrowding are improper gum growth, genetics, gum orientation, and premature tooth loss.

Teeth overcrowding can result in the following challenges:

• Crowded teeth can be sensitive and painful when they exert pressure against each other within the jaw. The extra pressure can increase wear on the child’s teeth, causing long-term dental issues if left unchecked.
• Teeth overcrowding can cause tooth decay — Brushing and flossing are difficult when your child’s teeth overlap without adequate space. Accumulation of tartar and plaque between the child’s teeth can cause decay and gum disease.
• Overcrowding can cause your child an uneven smile.

Orthodontists use braces to treat overcrowding by exerting pressure on the teeth and shifting them into proper alignment. With time, your orthodontist will tighten or adjust braces until your child’s teeth reach their desired position.

A child’s underlying tissues and jawbone are more flexible and developing, making their teeth more responsive to readjustments and orthodontic treatments like braces than adults.

You Want to Improve the Appearance of Your Child’s Smile

Braces strategically move teeth to improve their alignment, changing how jaws and lips align. It can lead to a straighter smile and rectify facial imbalances.

Additionally, braces improve issues associated with underbite or overbite. Correcting your child’s bite can make their face more aesthetically pleasing overall. Please note the impact is not immediate and could take months or years to manifest fully as the teeth gradually adjust to the new positions.

You want to Safeguard the Tooth Structure

Misaligned teeth do not fit together well, exerting more pressure on some teeth when biting and chewing. Over time, the pressure can result in enamel erosion, teeth fractures, or chipping. Tooth wear can also cause sensitivity and increase the risk of developing cavities. Braces can protect your child’s tooth structure by aligning their teeth and lowering the risk of tear and wear.

You Want to Boost Their Self-esteem and Confidence

A straight, pleasant smile is often synonymous with confidence. Children who are satisfied with their smiles have better self-esteem, positively impacting their social interactions and overall happiness.

Braces increase a child’s self-confidence by enhancing their appearance. Remember that misaligned teeth, overcrowding or gaps may make your child hesitant to smile, laugh or speak publicly, impacting their socializing ability.

Braces function effectively to rectify these challenges, gradually transforming your child’s smile, helping their teeth become more straight and correctly aligned, and making the child more comfortable with their appearance. The newfound self-confidence can be life-transforming, enabling the child to smile freely, start new friendships, and engage more in social activities.

You Want to Enhance Your Child’s Knowledge of the Best Oral Hygiene Practices

Braces require strict dental hygiene routines. Upon receiving braces, the orthodontist will educate them on the benefits of regular oral care. The newfound knowledge can help them maintain their braces and instill a long-lasting dedication to their dental health.

Your child will have a sense of accomplishment as they witness their teeth’s transformation through orthodontic treatment and routine care. They will appreciate their actions contributed to an enhanced smile, boosting their self-confidence.

You Want to Reduce Teasing and Bullying Due to Misaligned Teeth

Some children can be brutally honest with the truth, especially regarding differences in appearance. Children with visible oral issues may become targets of bullying and teasing, seriously affecting their self-confidence. Braces can address these concerns relating to your child's teeth by aligning them, making the appearance differences less noticeable, and reducing the possibility of your child being teased and bullied. When your child perceives they are more acceptable to their peers, it helps them focus on their strengths instead of their oral flaws.

You Want Your Minor Child to Enjoy Long-lasting Benefits of Confidence

Braces do not only provide a temporary boost in self-confidence but also offer long-lasting advantages. A straight, healthy smile is a valuable asset that can serve your child well into adulthood in future job interviews, relationships, and social interactions.

Furthermore, after your child overcomes the oral issues requiring braces, it could be a good reminder of their ability to address and beat obstacles. Their resilience could become a source of self-assurance and inspiration when facing future difficulties.

Promoting Accountability

Your child should take care of their braces with utmost diligence. Minors must go for routine orthodontic appointments, adhere to specific dietary plans, and follow their orthodontist’s instructions. During the braces treatment, the orthodontist educates your child on the importance of responsibly looking after the braces. If your child successfully navigates the orthodontic treatment, they cultivate a feeling of pride. Their newfound discipline could positively impact all aspects of their life, enabling them to excel socially and academically.

Find a Professional and Seasoned Orthodontist Near Me

Orthodontic treatment options like braces promote a healthy, functional bite that increases your child’s happiness, confidence, and overall well-being. However, deciding whether your child requires braces needs careful consideration and expert advice. With the appropriate information and support from licensed dentists at Beach Dental Care Anaheim, you can rest assured of satisfaction, comfort, and optimal results that improve your child’s smile and oral health. We are dedicated to giving your child individualized care that suits your family's needs and preferences.

We can devote time to address your concerns, answer your questions, and involve you in the decision-making process regarding your child’s treatment using braces. We can also offer professional guidance, assessment, and child-friendly treatment plans. We invite you to experience the difference at our facility by calling 714-995-4000.