The importance of orthopedic treatment in growing children is tremendous, since with the early detection of skeletal and dental malformations we will avoid skeletal and functional problems.
At Moonz we recommend the first orthodontic check-up in children between 6 and 7 years of age, it is never too early to pay special attention to dental health! In our centers we offer interceptive orthodontics, early age orthodontics and orthopedics; all oriented and specialized in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of facial and dental alterations.
We consider that visiting the orthodontist at an early age allows detecting problems in the position of the teeth, bones of the face or bone problems and being able to plan and treat each problem in the best way and at the preferred times.
Many people are astonished to hear that even the Spanish Society of Orthodontics thinks: “It is essential to visit the orthodontist at least at 6 years of age” and it is that generally we associate orthodontic treatments with the age of adolescence, this has changed and evolved exponentially in recent years.
At Moonz we divide our treatments into two phases:
Phase 1: It is carried out in children whose ages range from 6 to 9 years old, assuming that in the review some problem is detected in the child’s mouth, this phase focuses on preserving or creating space for the teeth, correcting harmful habits and achieve a good relationship between the jaws and prevent extractions of permanent teeth or avoid surgical treatments in the future.
Why does this phase oscillate between 6 and 9 years? Because children are in full development stage and their rapid growth benefits orthodontic treatment.
Phase 2: they are performed in children from the age of 12, in this stage their jaws stopped growing and their palate is welded, in this phase the main function is the proper, precise and perfect placement of each tooth.
Between phase 1 and 2 there is a rest period where the growth of the rest of the permanent teeth is monitored, the child is checked normally every 6 months and on many occasions the use of night retainers is recommended, although each case is different and Moonz establishes plans for each patient in a personalized way.
What would happen if we did not treat our children in due course?
-If the child has an abnormality in her functions, waiting too long to restore them will only make it more difficult to correct, the younger she is, the more moldable it will be easier to correct.
– With children we can modify the size and position of the bones, with an adult this is possible only through surgical operations.
– We put the teeth of our little ones at risk since, by not having an ideal bite or position of the teeth, inadequate contacts cause wear to be greater.
– The bad position of the teeth makes hygiene difficult, not treating dental health in time can have other consequences such as cavities or suppress the health of the gums.
– Many children are shy and are ashamed of their teeth, after all, we all have insecurities and the smile greatly affects aesthetics.
– When there are alterations in the skeleton or size / position of the maxillary bones, children may notice that some functions are affected such as speech, swallowing or even breathing.
Benefits of orthopedic treatment in growing children:
– Reduce speech problems caused by poor dental positions: these children may have problems pronouncing certain words or letters, also in other cases, such as very narrow jaws, they may prevent the child from closing their mouth, which also makes it difficult for them to speak.
– Guide mandibular growth: as we discussed above, we can only correct bones in children in the growth stage, then it is only possible with surgeries.
– Reduce or eliminate atypical swallowing: correct compensatory movements that are caused by inappropriate lingual activities, such as thumb sucking.
– Shorten the time of orthodontic treatments: these treatments can last for years if you start late, with early detection we will shorten the times of any subsequent treatment.
– Make room for permanent teeth: ideally, the permanent teeth can come out in the right position thanks to treating the child’s mouth at an early age
– Reduce the risk of painful surgical processes in adults, since we will treat problems with a mouth that is still modifiable without surgery
– We eliminate everything that can cause open bite problems, such as thumb sucking, blanket sucking, among others.
– Better personal appearance and self-esteem: not many children or adolescents are lucky enough to have a beautiful and healthy smile.
At Moonz we are specialists in orthodontics in orthopedic stages, ask for your appointment and we will attend to your little one to make that first revision so necessary in those ages, we already tell you all the benefits! We wait for you!
