Common Orthodontic Problems
The children we see every day come in all shapes and sizes; we see tall ones, short ones, funny ones, and no-nonsense ones. And while many of their traits are easy to spot in their parents, their smiles can differ greatly for any number of reasons. Orthodontists at Snodgrass-King are big advocates in helping your child have great dental hygiene along with regular orthodontic checkups. As a parent, all you want is for your child to have the best experience possible when looking for a solution regarding orthodontic problems. Some issues in life are mountains, while others are molehills. The same thing applies to orthodontic problems.
Identifying Your Child’s Bad Oral Habits & Issues Early
Discovering orthodontic problems early on allows for an orthodontic solution to be set in place quickly. This absolutely helps your child to avoid or prevent future dental setbacks. The following is a list of common malocclusions, or misalignments of teeth and dental arches.
Protruding Teeth – lower and upper jaw growing at different rates; forward or outwardly tilted front teeth, can also be known as “buck teeth”
Thumb & Finger Sucking – can lead to misalignment of jaw and/or protruding teeth
Underbite – lower jaw growing at a faster rate than the lower jaw, which places upper teeth behind lower teeth
Crowding – small or narrow jaw, which leaves little room for adult teeth Overbite – Like protruding teeth or “buck” teeth
Spacing – Like crowding; a size difference between teeth and jaw
Crossbite – upper and lower teeth misalignment when biting down
Mouth Breathing & Teeth Grinding – Often found when asleep, both correlate to misaligned bite, narrow arches, and/or crowding
Communication Problems Emerge
As mentioned previously, common malocclusions/oral problems can lead to a range of side effects such as speech impediments and jaw pain.
Impaired Communication: All of which are generally caused from an overbite or gaps between the teeth, as well as restricted of tongue movement and bad tongue-‐ to-‐tooth contact.
- Lisp/Whistle
- Slurring
- Mispronunciation
Time and again braces are recommended to correctly align your child’s teeth and better smooth communication and verbal skills, as well as improve jaw and mouth function overall. This is because braces place teeth in a way that allows for the tongue to have room and also touch the teeth to produce stronger, less sloppy sounds. Allow us to provide an orthodontic solution such as braces for your child.
Orthodontists or Miracle Workers?
Why not both? While general orthodontists and dentists may seem a bit intimidating to children, orthodontists at Snodgrass-‐King are actually health and happiness miracle workers for children and parents alike. Your child should be cheerful and confident, so why not begin with a joyful and healthy smile. What is better than seeing your child happy and laughing?
