| Orthodontics for Kids and Teens Grants Pass, OR  It’s never too late to start orthodontic treatment. But if you want to straighten the teeth of your children, is it ever too early? Studies have shown that starting orthodontic treatments for children earlier is better than waiting. We recommend that kids should have their first orthodontic screening at the age of seven. Why is Early Intervention Needed?Children will benefit from early orthodontic evaluations and treatments for multiple reasons. But we should point out first that early evaluation doesn’t always result in early treatment. If a child needs orthodontic treatment, we will monitor their growth patterns until we need to start treatment. This allows us to obtain the best results in a highly effective way so we can prevent future problems. Every child’s mouth develops differently, but in general most kids get their first permanent teeth around the age of six. Once a child’s permanent teeth start erupting, we can evaluate the alignment of their teeth, from side to side, and from front to back. We can also attempt to discern whether the child has enough space in their mouth for all of their permanent teeth to come in. If there is not adequate space, we’ll need to intervene. Orthodontic ProblemsWe usually start treating orthodontic problems between the ages of nine and 14. At that point, a child has lost all of their baby teeth and most permanent teeth will have erupted. However, some conditions are much easier to treat if we catch them at an early age. A young child’s natural growth processes operate very quickly at that age. To avoid the possibility of surgery, we seek to intervene early. Early orthodontic treatment fixes many common orthodontic problems very effectively and eliminates the need for more invasive procedures later on. Severe CrossbiteWhen a child has a severe crossbite, several of the upper teeth will close around the lower ones or vice versa. To correct this, we use a palatal expander to slowly and gently open up one of the jaws. It works well when the jaw is not fully developed. If we wait too long to correct this problem, we may need to use a more complicated procedure, even surgery. Severe CrowdingSevere crowding takes place when your child’s jaws aren’t big enough to fit all of their permanent teeth. We can extract teeth or use palatal expansion to help the child’s adult teeth come in correctly. If the child needs braces later on, the treatment won’t take as long. Protruding TeethIf a child’s teeth protrude out in front, they are more vulnerable to fractures and chipping. Protruding teeth also can cause the child to have a negative self-image. Severe UnderbiteAn underbite occurs when the lower jaw grows larger than the upper jaw, causing issues with the bite. We aim to use devices like braces to correct like this at an early stage. If we wait to treat the problem later, we may have to resort to surgery. Contact us at Robinson Orthodontics at (541) 441-8288 today to get your child started with early orthodontics! |
Robinson OrthodonticsDr. Jon Robinson (541) 441-8288124 NE Evelyn Avenue Grants Pass, OR 97526-1427 Request An Appointment New Patient Forms |
