Kids Braces: Why is Early Dental Intervention Important?

With children, the baby teeth help guide their permanent teeth into the correct positions. However, sometimes complications may arise. These include early crowding, trauma, or permanent teeth that do not emerge. Early detection and intervention of these issues, such as using kids braces, can keep small problems from becoming larger ones further down the road.

Early dental care is helpful for more than just making sure your kids have the best smiles. It can also help fix any problems with the way their faces or jaws are growing. We know how important it is to ensure that your child grows up with a balanced facial structure, and we are here to help.

What is the best age to start kids braces?

Age 7 to 8 is considered the optimal time for screening as by the age of 7, the first adult molars erupt, establishing the back bite. During this time, we can evaluate front-to-back and side-to-side tooth relationships. For example, the presence of erupting incisors can indicate possible overbite, open bite, crowding or gummy smiles. Timely screening increases the chances of an incredible smile.

Early dental intervention can help address:

• Long jaw with an underbite
• Upper front teeth that stick out a lot with a short jaw
• Crooked face with a crooked bite
• Long face
• Open bite where the upper and lower front teeth cannot meet
• Narrow or small dental arches
• Upward and forward head posture
• Chronic mouth breathing due to blocked airways

It is important to address these problems. Research shows that an imbalanced jaw and face structure can increase the chances of speech and eating difficulties. It can also possibly result in self-esteem issues in the long run.