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Category Archives: Pediatric Dentistry
Braces for Baby Teeth
Are there braces for baby teeth? Normally, when we hear the word “braces,” the first picture that comes to our mind is a late teen or a mid-teen. However, orthodontists may recommend braces for people of different age groups, including children, adolescents, teenagers, adults, etc.
Did you know that there are braces for baby teeth? Yes, they are safe, but you need to consult with your child’s orthodontist. Visiting an orthodontist early is better for the identification and diagnosis of harmful oral conditions that may become a serious concern if left untreated.
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Braces for Kids with Baby Teeth
Everyone wants a bright smile, but not all people have pearly whites. They include young children as well as adults. The perfect alignment of teeth and the bright color make your smile beautiful and boost your self-confidence. However, people with crooked, misaligned, and crowded teeth growth need to undergo dental treatment to maintain their proper bite.
Many people assume that late age is more suitable to get braces and other similar treatments than the baby teeth stage. In fact, it might be the best time to rectify oral errors and misalignments.
It becomes easier to handle the teeth realignment and maintain the proper bite when a child has baby teeth. As their jaw and bones are still under development, orthodontists recommend that it is easy to guide the growth and adjust the treatments accordingly.
The American Orthodontic Association suggests that dental care becomes vital when dental issues become visible in children. Besides, they suggest that the first dental checkup should not be before 7 years of age. It is the growth and development stage of a child, and it is possible only for a trained and experienced medical care professional (i.e., orthodontist) to identify the subtle signs of any underlying or potential oral health issues.
Advantages of Braces for Kids with Baby Teeth
An orthodontist might take a look and conduct an examination to assess your child’s oral health conditions. Eventually, the answer may be one of the following.
- Initiating treatment before the eruption of permanent teeth
- Waiting for the permanent teeth to grow for better treatment success
- Suggesting that there is no need for any orthodontic treatment at the instance
Reasons to Get Braces for Kids with Baby Teeth
Did you know that an orthodontist might suggest extracting your child’s baby teeth to give way to permanent teeth growth?
Here is a list of a few oral health conditions that require prompt orthodontist attention.
- Spaced/Crowded Teeth: crowded teeth grow too close and misalign other teeth surrounding them. In comparison, spaced teeth are far apart and keep growing in a similar pattern even when the permanent teeth erupt.
- Underbite/Overbite: underbite is when the upper teeth are far behind the lower teeth, while overbite is when the upper teeth are far ahead of the lower teeth.
- Extra/ Missing Teeth: it is possible for young children to have missing or additional baby teeth that are capable of impacting their future jaw growth.
- Crossbite: crossbite pertains to the shifting of the jaw of a child to either side.
Types of Braces for Kids
Children with baby teeth require precise care and need to undergo accurate treatment procedures to avoid any permanent deformities.
- Traditional braces have metal brackets and a long, flexible archwire. The metal brackets bond to the teeth’ enamel while the flexible wire fastens them to begin the readjustment. A similar process applies to the ceramic braces, which are tooth-colored and not-so-frequently noticeable.
- Many brands offer invisible braces. These are plastic braces that fit perfectly over your teeth after your orthodontist creates them with your mouth’s precise 3-D image and/or impression (mold). It’s rubber and does not involve wires or metal brackets.
- Often the orthodontist will suggest that your child get one or two teeth pulled in order to get space for the headgear that can provide better teeth adjustment force. Nevertheless, you do not have to worry because your child might only have to wear the headgear at night.
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After the application of braces, you need to visit your dentists frequently until the teeth are finally in the correct position. Following that, they will remove the braces and suggest wearing plastic retainers that will hold the teeth from moving back to the same place.
Braces for Baby Teeth: Conclusion
If you want to consult one of the best orthodontists for your child, then look no further. At Manhattan Family Orthodontics, we have the best orthodontists in NY. We deliver not only effective treatment but compassionate care that will relax your child in a friendly environment.
Give us a call at ourUPTOWNor DOWNTOWN office to schedule a consultation with one of our orthodontists . Check out our official website to learn more.
References & Related Links:
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/braces.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/braces/expert-answers/dental-braces/faq-20058192
https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/braces.html
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/braces-and-orthodontics/
https://www.aaoinfo.org/blog/parent-s-guide-post/importance-of-orthodontics/
Pediatric Orthodontics
When it is about improving the smile of your child, orthodontic care is mandatory. If you take early orthodontic measures or care, it can help you improve not just your child’s smile but oral health also. Besides this, straight teeth are much easier to floss and brush, and less prone to develop tooth decay and gum diseases.
Simply put, pediatric orthodontics is all about starting orthodontic care or treatment in early age of child’s life. It ensures that your child has a healthy smile that looks good as well as feels good for future years. Proper pediatric orthodontic treatment plays a vital role in improving child’s appearance that is important to boost self-esteem, particularly at young age.
In addition, it is important to know that jaws and bones grow at different rates. That is what makes receiving consultation and recommendation at young age extremely important. It helps you understand the orthodontic requirement of your child and gives you plenty of useful information. Using this information, orthodontists create an effective and long-term treatment plan for your child.
When You Need a Pediatric Orthodontist
Pediatric orthodontics can treat numerous problems associated with the jaws and teeth. Some of them include:
- Crossbites: When upper teeth do not align with the lower teeth when you bite
- Overbites: When upper teeth are far forward and protrude
- Underbites: When lower teeth are far forward or far back
- Open Bites: Space between the front or side teeth and biting surfaces
- Spacing Issues: Spaces and gaps between the upper or lower teeth because of missing teeth
- Misplaced Midlines: When front teeth do not align with the center of lower front teeth line
- Crowding Issues: When teeth overlap the dental ridge to take space
Types of Pediatric Orthodontics
Orthodontists perform visual analysis of teeth of children using X-ray to assess and determine the problem that needs correcting. If a child requires orthodontic treatment, several options are available to you:
Traditional Braces
Traditional braces are the first option that you can opt to correct the malpositioned teeth. The treatment involves gluing or fixing metal brackets to the misaligned teeth. The braces are typically archwires that run from molar teeth to upper teeth through metal brackets. Dentists use a small rubber band to hold the wires in place.
There is no specific treatment length of traditional braces. It varies and depends on the complexity and severity of child’s orthodontic issues. However, the braces treatment may take a longer time than other orthodontic treatments and may last from one to three years.
It is worth noting that during pediatric orthodontic treatment, a child needs to visit his/her orthodontist regularly. In general, a child needs to visit orthodontist at least twice a month, particularly during braces treatment to tighten the brackets. The rubber bands and wires need adjustment to create the tension and shift in teeth into a position. During this process, a child may experience some discomfort and soreness after adjustment of the braces.
Ceramic Braces
Like traditional braces, this type of braces can be one of the options of your child’s pediatric orthodontic treatment. The dentist will glue or fix the ceramic braces to the teeth. Made of composite and clear material, ceramic braces are less conspicuous as compared to traditional braces. They also have an archwire that connects the brackets and holds the rubber band in place.
If your child gets ceramic braces, he/she will have to visit the orthodontist regularly to have his/her braces adjusted. The dentist will adjust the position of the wires during the monthly appointment of your child. An orthodontist does that to correct the position of the brackets by creating more shift and tension.
Invisalign
The given pediatric orthodontic treatments may make child balk. In these situations, parents can consider Invisalign. The treatment is relatively less painful, unlike other pediatric orthodontic treatments. There are no metal or ceramic braces attached to teeth in this treatment that does not only provide more flexibility but also keep children relaxed and stress-free.
Invisalign is a string of removable and clear aligners. They are custom-made and gradually apply pressure to move and rotate a child’s teeth.
Moreover, if your child does not feel comfortable wearing aligners all the time, he/she may remove them for brushing, flossing, eating, and drinking.
What is the Right Time to Begin Pediatric Orthodontic Process?
What is the right age for starting pediatric orthodontic treatment?
It is undeniably one of the vital concerns of many parents. According to the American Association of Orthodontics, it is better to take children for pediatric orthodontic treatment before their permanent teeth start coming in.
The recommended age is “seven” for children. However, there is a wide disparity in teeth development in children. That is why it is important to consult an orthodontist to determine orthodontic requirements and treatment of children. It is also important to find out if the changes are a normal part of children’s developmental growth.
Manhattan Family Orthodontics, in this regard, works with an efficient team of orthodontists and can help you choose the right type of pediatric orthodontic treatment for your child. They ensure to provide the best dental care services to children during their orthodontic treatment and help reduce the risk of protruding and malpositioned teeth in children.
Find out more about your child’s pediatric orthodontic treatment options by contacting us today:
133 East 58th Street
Suite 912
New York, NY 10022
Pediatric Dentistry
Teeth are one of the most difficult, yet beneficial parts of the body to care for. Great oral health starts from a young age. This means if healthy patterns are developed when younger, especially in terms of oral care, you’ll be less likely to have dental issues in the future. Because of this, you should always consider taking your child to a pediatric dentist when they’re young. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, it’s never too early to visit a pediatric dentist, as they can help your children form vital habits and understand how to properly care for their oral health at a young age. The better children are aware of the importance of their clean, aligned teeth, the better they’ll be in the future.
When Should I Take My Child?
There are many different ideas about when a parent or guardian should first take their child to visit a pediatric dentist. The best response, though, is as soon as their first tooth grows. Many parents find visiting the dentist with their baby can even help how their teeth grow in and allow both parents and dentists to monitor their child’s dental progress. This means they can catch any kind of discrepancies or issues within the oral health of your baby as soon as possible.
Additionally, if you take your baby to a pediatric dentist before the age of one, it is likely your child will feel less anxiety than they would if you wait until they’re older to visit a dentist. There are plenty of reasons that your child will benefit from a pediatric dentist. Let’s take a look!
Benefits of a Pediatric Dentist
If you bring your child to a pediatric dentist, it is likely they will significantly benefit from the experience which will be seen throughout their oral health over time. During your experience, you can expect a pediatric dentist to help you and your children understand how to perform the best dental and oral care for them, including the proper ways to brush and floss.
Additionally, you’ll be able to discuss what methods of oral care will most benefit your child. This can include the use of fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash, how to properly care for teething pain, and even how the foods eaten result in tooth strength. One great aspect about a pediatric dentist is they can identify how your child’s teeth are growing and help determine whether or not they may benefit from receiving braces. From here, they can refer you to a great orthodontist.
Need an Orthodontist?
If you brought your child to an orthodontist and they’ve determined your child will need braces in the future, schedule an appointment with us at Manhattan Family Orthodontics. As one of the best orthodontists in New York City, we can help your child achieve the best oral spacing possible and allow their teeth to grow in as straight as can be.
Don’t wait until your child ages and receives oral issues due to misaligned teeth or other various dental problems and bring them to see us today!