1. A beautiful smile with straight teeth boosts your child’s self-esteem.
Young children with crooked teeth may not notice that anything is wrong, but eventually they will realize that their teeth don’t look right. Straight teeth make the whole face more pleasing and attractive. If your child is self-conscious about an unattractive smile, he or she will be reluctant to smile. A serious demeanor could affect the way they are treated by their peers.
2. Crooked teeth can impact the bite.
If you suspect that your child’s bite is not aligned, we invite you to make an appointment with Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry. Dr. Gordon West can evaluate your child’s bite and make recommendations to see a specialist if necessary.
3. Correcting a child’s teeth with orthodontia is quicker and easier when the jaw is young and flexible.
4. Crooked teeth can impact normal speech development.
5. Crooked teeth can reduce your child’s capacity to eat a healthy diet.
Misaligned teeth can make chewing and eating difficult. Children need a variety of foods but may miss out on essential nutrients if they can’t chew raw vegetables or meat, for example. If your child only eats soft foods, his/her jaw may not develop normal size and strength.
6. Misaligned teeth can damage the gums and underlying bone.
7. If crooked teeth cause malocclusion (bad bite), problems with TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders) can result.
TMD is a detrimental condition affecting the jaw joint.
8. It’s easier to clean teeth when they are straight and uncrowded.
When uneven teeth begin to crowd together, it becomes difficult to make vital daily cleanings effective. And, when your teeth aren’t cleaned properly, problems with plaque buildup, cavities, and gum disease ordinarily result.
9. If the child’s crooked teeth are not corrected while they are young, the problems may compound and become worse with age.
Severely crooked teeth generally influence fitness and quality of life. For example, chewing troubles can lead to ulcers, and gum disease increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
10. There are many new types of braces.
Ceramic, self-ligating, and lingual (invisible) braces are some of the new orthodontia options. In some circumstances, invisible braces can be just as effective at adjusting teeth as the old-school type.
To find out if your child needs braces, schedule a consultation at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry by calling 303-665-5335.