Early treatment can be beneficial for a number of areas in your life, but especially with orthodontics. For now, let’s compare them to medications to help us better understand. Medications may help prevent further damage and the spread of disease when you have a medical condition. They can cut down on recovery time, while reducing the potential impact of the issue at hand. No matter what the condition is, who you are, or how old you are, early treatment can help prevent serious problems from occurring down the road. The same can be said for your oral health with the help of orthodontics and early dental treatment.

Corrective Tooth Alignment

Thankfully, not all medical conditions are life-threatening. This is the case for the alignment of your teeth, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important.  If you’re an adult, you’ve probably lived with nearly the same alignment of your teeth for years, if not decades. Your teeth can shift over time due to a number of reasons. The alignment of your teeth tends to worsen very slowly.

However, the same is not true for your child. Your child is constantly growing. Their faces will change and grow, and so will their jaws. They will lose their baby teeth and have adult teeth replace them, sometimes at the same time.  While adult teeth do not all come in at once, the way they come in can play a role in the alignment of teeth. The release of hormones as children hit their teenage years, as well as a number of secondary factors can also influence how their smiles form into adulthood.  

As teeth erupt into crowded mouths, it can lead to a number of other issues. This can include harder to reach areas for flossing and brushing. This can cause tooth decay and can even lead to root canal treatment or extractions. The earlier you bring your child in to your local orthodontist, the better you will be prepared for developing problems and you can be proactive with correction if it is warranted.  Certain problems, such as an underbite, are far more easily corrected at younger ages and some options for correction are not possible even into the teenage years.

Understanding Alignment

When you visit our team here at Melbourne Orthodontics, you will obtain a clear understanding of what is going on with your child’s dental alignment and bite. You’ll be given a clear picture of how the current configuration of teeth will change over time if it is not corrected. You will also learn about some of the subsequent issues that will arise from the changes.  Aside from alignment issues possibly leading to increased risk for decay and periodontal health problems, very poor alignment can lead to self-esteem issues and social problems in some children. 

Added Benefits of Early Treatment

Beyond the benefits of avoiding additional dental problems down the road, some problems can be fixed in a shorter amount of time than they would be if corrected later on in life. 

Early treatment will help you become aware of additional treatment methods. Braces are an option for just about everyone. However, ceramic or traditional braces from your local orthodontist in Melbourne, FL is not always the right choice. In fact, for teeth that are only slightly out of place (thanks to early identification and treatment), Invisalign may be an available option. However, If you believe you may be a better candidate for braces, find out about it here. 

Invisalign does not require any kind of braces or metal wiring within the mouth. Instead, Invisalign is like an extremely thin mouth guard or rigid bleaching tray. It is so thin and clear that most people will not be able to see it. You (or your child) can also continue enjoying most of the same foods, some of which you can’t have when you have braces.

Take Advantage Of The Benefits Of Early Treatment

Early orthodontic treatment is an investment in your child’s future. It helps boost confidence while also ensuring more serious dental issues are avoided further down the line.  In many instances, early treatment helps save you money and future treatment will not take as long as well.  Early treatment may also prevent damage from occurring while you are waiting for full treatment in the teenage years.  If you want to learn more about what corrective methods are available, now is the time to visit Melbourne Orthodontics. Contact us online or by phone today to get started on your journey to exploring whether early treatment is right for your child, and getting them a healthy, beautiful smile for the future!