SERVICES

Pediatric Orthodontics

Frequently asked questions regarding orthodontic work and procedures:

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, children should have a professional orthodontic examination and screening by the time they reach seven years of age. This is the age their teeth and jaws are developed enough, but are still malleable enough to determine the best course to correct many dental issues. Although treatment usually is not necessary at age 7, the screening and evaluation provide parents the opportunity to plan ahead and monitor the development of their child’s smile.

Why is orthodontic intervention so important at a young age?

Time and time again, orthodontic research has shown that the best orthodontic interventions are ones that are applied early in a child’s youth.  The sooner the treatment begins allows getting in front of the issues and adjusting a child’s bite/jaw alignment while the skeleton is still growing and relatively malleable.  By jumping out in front of these issues, the opportunity exists to resolve them before permanent teeth begin to take place.  If permanent teeth do not have enough space to grow and develop,  the eruption can be severe and turn otherwise relative simple orthodontic issues into additional and lengthy treatment.

What is the root cause of “crooked” teeth?

There are any different number of issues that can cause “crooked” teeth to occur: some of them biological and others environmental.

Biological issues have to do with genetics of the teeth themselves such as premature loss of baby teeth and crowded teeth positions that do not allow adequate space for the adult teeth.

Environmental issues such as damage to the teeth from accidental contact, tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, and a handful of the other issues can all cause “crooked” teeth.

What causes teeth to move?

The overwhelming majority of teeth movement is related to the constant pressure applied over a period of time consistently, either naturally like the  overcrowding of teeth or by orthodontics hardware (braces).Most orthodontic solutions are going to involve some kind of brace or bracket attached to the teeth, which is then connected by wires that are periodical adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure so as to move the teeth. During the child’s orthodontic  treatment different appliances and hardware such as elastics and retainers may be taken advantage of to assist the movement of the teeth.

Are orthodontic solutions going to hurt?

The best orthodontic options available on the market today are never going to cause you any discomfort, let alone any pain.  The days of having to have your braces “tightened” are over thanks to major advances in orthodontic hardware and technology. Today orthodontic systems utilize lighter forces than ever before to pull teeth in the right direction, correcting almost all the issues without causing a headache.