Many people believe children don’t require orthodontic treatment until they enter the teen years, but did you know it’s best for children to have an orthodontic consultation around the age of 7? With an early consultation with children’s orthodontics in McMurray, your orthodontist is able to find orthodontic conditions earlier to provide treatment to correct these conditions before they cause additional complications. At Cartwright Orthodontics, we provide consultations and treatment for early orthodontic conditions to correct the issues your child is facing with early intervention.
Children’s Orthodontics in McMurray
While it’s never too late to begin orthodontic treatment, the earlier your child starts, the less severe their bite and alignment problems will become. As a result, the treatment period is decreased, as well as the extent of treatment needed. We provide early intervention to correct the size and shape of the bite while the bones are still forming. Not to mention, we are able to reduce crowding, allowing the teeth to erupt properly by creating enough space for proper eruption. We will help with healthy jaw growth while decreasing the potential for trauma to protruding teeth.
With properly spaced and aligned teeth, you’ll promote your child’s oral health while reducing their need for braces in the future. An early consultation will identify a diversity of orthodontic conditions, such as open bite, overcrowding, and cross bites.
Open Bite—An open bite occurs when the back teeth come together properly but the front teeth don’t, which results in a gap between the top and bottom teeth when the mouth is closed. While it is sometimes caused by abnormal jaw growth, it can also be caused from bad habits, like thumb sucking.
Deep Bite—A deep bite is also known as an overbite, which occurs when the upper jaw extends over the lower jaw more than normal. When not corrected, this can cause the teeth of the lower jaw to begin cutting into the gum of the upper jaw.
Cross Bites—The perfect bite allows the top teeth to rest over the lower teeth. However, sometimes the upper jaw is simply too narrow. As a result, the lower jaw usually slides to one side to accommodate closing the mouth.
Crowded Teeth/ Spacing—When the teeth are too big or too small, it can cause the teeth to become overcrowded or large gaps to develop between the teeth. This can make speech and eating more difficult. We correct spacing issues to move the teeth into their proper alignment.
Overjet—An overjet is somewhat like an overbite except the top teeth protrude. This can cause the molars to be misaligned. There are a number of reasons this can occur, such as an imbalance in the skeletal structure, missing lower teeth, and flared upper incisors. Sometimes, there are other factors that lead to this condition or a combination of more than one. Thankfully, we can correct the issues before they become a bigger problem.
If your child needs children’s orthodontics in Bethel Park or McMurray, contact Cartwright Orthodontics today to schedule a consultation.