Early Treatment With Braces For Kids
Preventative and/or early orthodontic treatment can greatly benefit your child in many ways. It can even save you lots of money in the long run by proactively avoiding later and more severe orthodontic issues. At Koch Orthodontics, we have treated many children: correctively guiding proper jaw development, assisting the eruption of permanent teeth, creating space in overcrowded mouths, mitigating tooth decay which can lead to later extractions, correcting bite issues, and preventing oral trauma due to the emergence of uneven, crooked teeth.
Treatment with braces also helps combat bad habits like thumb sucking and even rectify speech impediments. By paving the way for a perfect smile, we can help boost your child’s self-esteem in childhood, adolescence, and beyond. The confidence that comes with a great smile can be life-changing and priceless. Give us a call or contact us online to schedule an appointment so that we can fully analyze your child’s specific situation today.
Common Orthodontic Warning Signs
As a parent, it is not always obvious when your child needs orthodontic treatment. Staying vigilant and scheduling regular checkups are two essential ways to be proactive. These are some frequent orthodontic problems that arise at an early age:
- Crooked, jagged, uneven, or overlapping teeth
- Large gaps between teeth
- Overcrowded teeth
- Prominent overbite or underbite
- Excessive mouth breathing, thumb sucking, or tongue thrusting
- Premature or delayed loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty chewing, biting, or drinking
How Do Braces Work?
Braces are a well-proven treatment for correcting misaligned teeth and/or jaws, and the process of having your braces put on is simple. First, a special orthodontic glue is used to bond the brackets to your teeth. Once the brackets are in place, a thin metal wire threads them together. This allows gradual pressure to be applied by tightening with a special key. Adjustments are made every few months to balance the tension and correction to make the experience as effective and comfortable as possible.
At Koch Orthodontics, we use an advanced bracket system that does not require rubber bands. Instead, these brackets offer the benefits of specially designed clips to hold the archwires in place. This subtle change allows for more consistent pressure to be applied which can lead to faster treatment times. The smaller and more lightweight design also allows your child to more easily clean around their brackets.
Captain Koch Kids Club
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child’s first orthodontist visit occur at the young age of 7 years old. However, there is no true age limit, and there are benefits to getting your child’s orthodontic needs assessed even earlier. The upsides of early orthodontic treatment are manifold. We can correct jaw growth, bite problems, and space issues to help permanent teeth come in evenly. This will reduce the chances of extractions, braces, retainers, and other orthodontic realignments in the future.
We tend to be conservative with early treatment. This means that orthodontic treatment is rarely administered to children under the ages of 12-13 years old. Nevertheless, Dr. Jacob Koch and Dr. Kelsey Gass would both love to regularly monitor the growth and development of your child’s jaw and teeth. Sometimes, if detected at an early age, major orthodontic setbacks can be circumvented simply by performing a basic task, such as removing a baby tooth prematurely.
This is why we actively recommend our Captain Koch Kids Club to anyone 7 years and up. Absolutely free of charge for all members, we will observe and track the development of your child’s orthodontic situation to better diagnose and apply treatment when the time is right. The biggest advantage for many clients who join our Captain Koch Kids Club is the positive example that regular check-ups provide. By staying updated and interested in oral hygiene, we influence our Kids Club members to consistently take care of their teeth so that issues do not arise in the future.