Dentistry that grows with you
As pediatric dental specialists, we're experts on the growth and development of children's dentition, jaws, and craniofacial structures. Early growth and development evaluation may provide your child with more positive experience should they need orthodontic treatment. We know that early recognition and treatment of developing bite problems often minimize later orthodontic needs.
Limited Orthodontics
Childhood and teenage years are a great time for orthodontic treatment. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child receive their first orthodontic screening by age 7, and we encourage you to bring your child to our office by this age to evaluate their need for orthodontic treatment.
When we're able to start treatment early, we can often detect and correct potential problems before they become more serious. This can help save time as well as money. Early orthodontic treatment is advantageous because a young child’s teeth haven't finished erupting. This allows us to guide their eruption and address any problems at the earliest possible stage.
Whether your child needs removable or fixed appliances, early orthodontic treatment can help:
Provide more room for crowded erupting teeth
Preserve space for teeth that have not yet erupted
Create facial symmetry by guiding jaw growth
Reduce the possible need for tooth extraction
Reduce the overall treatment time
When you bring your child to our practice, Dr. Sarah will be able to determine whether treatment is needed and when it should begin.
Space Maintainers
The baby teeth, or primary teeth, allow your child to chew and eat. However, that's not their only purpose. Primary teeth also act as guides to ensure that permanent teeth erupt in their proper places. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the permanent tooth no longer has a guide, which can result in it drifting or erupting in the wrong position.
The premature loss of baby teeth can also lead to the neighboring teeth shifting or tilting into the space that should've been preserved for the permanent tooth that will later erupt. Baby teeth may be lost early for several reasons, including:
Severe tooth decay and infection
Falls or other accidents
Diseases or other conditions
Teeth missing at birth
No matter the reason for a lost or missing tooth, Dr. Sarah will make certain that, if needed, space is held to allow for the proper eruption of the permanent tooth. To do so, we may recommend a space maintainer to keep the space open until the permanent tooth erupts.
There are several types of space maintainers available, including both removable and fixed options. We'll make sure your child receives the type of space maintainer that best fits their unique needs.
Thumb Sucking and Pacifier Use
Thumb or finger sucking may not seem like a big deal, but it can harm your child’s smile and cause dental issues that must be corrected with orthodontic treatment.
Using a pacifier could also result in changes in the teeth, such as:
Misalignment or teeth moving from their position
Reshaping of the jawbone
Narrowing of the dental arches
Tongue thrust habits
Protruding teeth
Open bites
At each visit, we'll discuss thumb, finger, pacifier, and tongue habits, while providing recommendations based on your child’s age and habit history.