Why early orthodontic treatment matters

Dentists and orthodontists increasingly recommend early orthodontic treatment for developing issues in the mouth and jaw, but many parents aren’t quite ready to take the leap. Here are just a few of the reasons to consider early intervention for a child, teenager, or young adult.

Improved results

Early orthodontic treatment allows for a complete correction of various issues as a child’s mouth develops. Many adjustments which are possible during growth won’t be possible for an adult looking at orthodontic solutions without extensive surgeries, and even then, the outcome will often be inferior to guided development of the jaw from a young age.

Reduced risk of injury and ailment

Many orthodontic issues create an increased risk of injury for your child. This includes problems such as physical trauma to protruding teeth, damage to the cheek, teeth, or gums due to misalignments and other orthodontic issues, and problems with dental hygiene due to unusual crevices and spacing problems.

Prevent development of bad habits

Orthodontic issues in youth are often directly related to certain bad habits parents will struggle to break, issues which can extend into adulthood and create no end of headaches down the line. Mouth discomfort stemming from orthodontic issues can lead to thumb sucking, lip wedging, teeth grinding, cheek biting, tongue thrusting and chewing with his or her mouth open. Even when the issues encouraging these habits are corrected later in life, the habit often remains.

Improve self-esteem

In many cases, correcting orthodontic issues as a teenager or adult will be too late to minimize problems stemming from low self-esteem and a poor self-image. Even superficial or otherwise unnoticeable issues can cause anxiety and self-image problems in children and teenagers predisposed to such worries. Great teeth and an excellent smile, on the other hand, can prove beneficial to self-esteem and self-worth throughout life. In many cases, early orthodontic adjustments can lead to drastic improvements in overall appearance, further improving the benefits of early intervention.

Avoid difficult issues later

Some orthodontic issues simply cannot be easily remedied further down the line. The cost in time and money for an adult will be significantly greater when correcting a given issue than correcting that issue early in a child or teenager. Furthermore, orthodontic troubles tend to compound over time, as misalignments of the jaw and teeth place additional pressure on the rest of the mouth, as bad habits become ingrained and cause their own forms of damage, etc.

Learn more

If you’d like to learn more about braces for kids in Destin and other early orthodontic intervention, contact M. Scott Runnels Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics today.