The First Step Of Your Smile Journey
As a parent, you want the best for your child and orthodontics for children includes healthy teeth and a pleasing smile.
At Hamer & Glassick Orthodontics, our goal is to treat your children as if they were our own, by providing them with the best possible orthodontic care.
All Kids Should Get an Orthodontic Check-Up By Age 7
Your child needs teeth and jaws that are properly aligned to have a smile that's long-lasting and healthy – in other words, a healthy bite.
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that orthodontics for children begins as early as the age of seven years old for a routine checkup.
By then, your child's teeth have developed enough for subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth to still be spotted while some baby teeth are still present.
This check-up may reveal that your child's bite is fine, and braces for kids aren't necessary.
Or, Dr. Glassick or Dr. Hamer may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring your child's growth and development, and then, if indicated, begin treatment at the appropriate time for your child.
In other cases, Dr. Glassick or Dr. Hamer might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.
What Is Early Treatment?
Early treatment may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
In some cases, Dr. Hamer or Dr. Glassick will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
Phase I Treatment
An interventional phase of orthodontics is frequently referred to as Phase One treatment. This phase of treatment typically involves an expander and limited braces to help position the teeth and create a bite that allows normal growth and development to occur. A Phase One treatment often takes around 9-12 months and is followed with a retainer to help maintain the success of the treatment.
Choosing the Best Time for Treatment
While the age that kids get braces may vary, orthodontic treatment most often begins between the ages of 9 and 14. Some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they are treated early.
If Dr. Hamer or Dr. Glassick think your child will need treatment, he let you know when it will be best to begin treatment. This gives your orthodontist the best chance to:
- Guide jaw growth
- Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- Correct harmful oral habits
- Improve appearance and self-esteem in your child
- Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position
- Create a more pleasing arrangement of teeth, lips and face
Signs the Bite’s Not Right
It's not always easy to tell when your child may need braces or has an orthodontic problem. Even teeth that look straight may be hiding a problem bite. Here are some clues that may indicate the need for orthodontic attention:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty chewing or biting
- Breathing through the mouth
- Thumb-sucking
- Crowded, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
- Jaws that are too far forward or back
- Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
- Protruding teeth
- Upper and lower teeth that don't meet, or meet in an abnormal way
- An unbalanced facial appearance
- Grinding or clenching of the teeth
Learn More at Your Free Consultation
If your child has a dental issue, please contact us by setting up a free consultation.
We can talk about your child's orthodontic options and develop a treatment plan customized to your child's needs.