Kids Orthodontist San Clemente, CA

Kids Orthodontist San Clemente, CA

While many California parents assume that their child will not be ready to wear braces until their teens, there are many reasons why their younger child could receive a referral to a kids orthodontist in San Clemente, CA. It is actually recommended by the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) that children should have an evaluation by an orthodontist by their seventh birthday to determine what type of issues the child may be facing, as well as what types of early treatment intervention can be taken to help. While it may sound as if 7-years-old is young, physically, a child that age has enough of their permanent teeth to see how their teeth and jaws are developing and what could be coming up for them in the future.  

Some of the more common issues an orthodontist can discover during evaluations on younger children include the following:

·       If the child’s teeth will be crooked or crowded

·       If the child’s teeth will have spaces between them

·       If the child has any missing or extra teeth

·       If the child will have an overbite, underbite, or crossbite

·       If the child will have any protruding teeth

·       If the child has or will have any problems with eating, biting, or chewing

Early evaluation not only determines issues, but provides a San Clemente, CA kids orthodontist the opportunity for early treatment. For instance, if a child has a narrow palate, that is a strong indication their permanent teeth will grow in crowded because of the lack of room. An orthodontist can use an expander to expand the child’s palate, which creates space for the teeth to come through.

An orthodontist can also use expanders to help correct any breathing problems a child has from a crossbite. Crossbites occur when a child closes their mouth but instead of upper teeth falling on the outside of the bottom teeth, they fall behind them. Crossbites can cause all kinds of issues for a child, including making it hard for them to breathe through their nose. This means the child is forced to breathe through their mouth, causing dry mouth, bacteria inhalation, and even bad breath.

Protruding teeth – also called buck teeth – is also another issue an early evaluation will reveal. It is estimated that about 15 percent of kids between the ages of 12 through 15 have some degree of protruding teeth. If a child with protruding teeth never receives orthodontic treatment, this can cause serious issues in adulthood, especially dental trauma, which can lead to surgery and tooth extractions. Wearing braces at a young age can avoid all of that.

Let Our Orthodontic Team Help

If you would like to have your young child evaluated to find out what type of treatment they may need in the future, as well as if there is any interventive treatment that can be addressed now, call John Redmond Orthodontics to schedule a consultation with a San Clemente, CA kids orthodontist.