Why Your Child Needs an Orthodontic Treatment

Parents and guardians often ask us one question: when they should take their child to see an orthodontist. Braces are often linked to teens so it might sound surprising to get early orthodontic treatment for avoiding future problems.

In addition to checking your child’s teeth, other problems can also be diagnosed with early orthodontic visits. If you have concerns, please contact an orthodontist in Oklahoma City for evaluation.

Advantages of Orthodontic Treatment

Your orthodontist needs to keep a close eye on your child’s orofacial development as some problems are easy to treat when kids are younger. As we grow, the jaw bone becomes harder. It makes orthodontic treatment challenging.

Here are some advantages of early orthodontic treatment:

• Airway enhancement.
• Severely crowded teeth and bite problems identification.
• Improved –self-perception.
• Evaluation of facial growth.
• Help in stopping finger or thumb sucking habits.
• Less risk of trauma to teeth.

Time to Visit the Orthodontist

Some problems that indicate a need for the treatment include:

• Teeth loss – most of your baby teeth fall out between five or 14 years of age.
• Thumb suck – especially if the habit continues after four years of age or is excessive.
• Teeth that do not adequately bite or protrude together. Speak barriers like a lisp, a slurring or abuse of speech.
• Adult teeth crowded.

What the Treatment Involves

A visual exam of a patient’s smile will be the first step of the treatment plan. Once done, our orthodontist in Oklahoma City, Dr. Birdwell, creates diagnostic records including, in some cases, panoramic-rays, impressions of the bite pattern and a supplementary image of the jaw joints. This is discussed extensively if treatment is required to adjust the teeth.

Diagnostic records are examined to allow a predictable treatment plan to be developed. In an overcrowded mouth, you may have to extract one or more teeth to prepare the adjustment process. Once the diagnostic and preparation stages are complete, the arches of the jaws and teeth will be moved in perfect alignment by using a fixed or removable orthodontic device.

Orthodontic Care for Children

The orthodontist near you should be your first call if you have any concerns. Your dentist can refer you for the expert opinion of Dr. David Birdwell, for individual evaluation and treatment at Orthodontic Arts.

Visit Orthodontic Arts for an experienced and professional orthodontist in Oklahoma City. Dr. Birdwell has been practicing since 1987. We will give you consultation, proper diagnosis and required treatment for a healthy smile.

Orthodontic Arts, your number one Orthodontist in OKC. Our Certified Orthodontist provides the latest and greatest Orthodontic practices to our clients in the OKC and Midtown area. Orthodontic Arts is the best place for child and teen orthodontics as well as adult orthodontics. Be sure to ask about Invisalign and invisible braces! Contact us today at (405) 604-3745 or request an appointment.

**Disclaimer: The above post is not intended to be medical advice or create a relationship between doctor and patient.