How Your Child Can Benefit From Orthodontic Treatment

Posted on: 20 May 2019

If your child has misaligned permanent teeth you should get them orthodontic treatment as soon as possible. Below are some of the benefits the child will enjoy once they are through with orthodontic treatment.

Better Smile

Most people will agree that straight teeth produce better smiles than crooked teeth. This is true for both adults and children, but your child may consider it more of a significant issue than you. This is particularly true if your child gets easily affected by other people's opinions or comments.

Improved Oral Hygiene

Crooked teeth are difficult to brush or floss particularly if they are overcrowded. The child may find it difficult to get the floss between the teeth and the toothbrush bristles may fail to clean between the teeth. At the same time bits of food may get trapped between the teeth and foster bacteria growth.

Both of these problems will go away once you help the child align their teeth. Don't forget that good oral hygiene is one of the best ways of keeping most dental diseases at bay.

Reduced Risk of Dental Injuries

If your child's teeth protrude, say they have an overbite, they are more likely to get dental injuries than if the teeth are properly aligned. For one, protruding teeth will be the first to get hit if the child experiences a blow to the mouth. Secondly, protruding teeth are relatively weaker than teeth with perfect alignment. Thus, if the child gets knocked in the mouth during football practice or falls from their bike, they can easily crack or knock out a tooth.

Improved Nutrition

Proper dental alignment is necessary for good nutrition since teeth play a big role in chewing food. When a child has crooked teeth they might fail to chew their food properly. Improperly chewed food is difficult to digest and absorb so the child's nutritional health might suffer. The good news is that orthodontic treatment will help the child chew their food better than before.

Improved Speech

Lastly, extreme cases of dental misalignment may also affect speech development. An overbite that leaves a gap between the teeth, for example, may make it difficult for the child to pronounce some words. Orthodontic treatment, perhaps with a little speech therapy, can help improve the affected child's teeth.

Anyone can benefit from orthodontic treatment regardless of age. However, the treatment is faster in kids than in adults. Therefore, call a family dental care specialist such as Rupp and Grabowski Family Dentistry for a consultation appointment as soon as so that your child can begin the treatment process as soon as possible.

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