Get a Head Start on a Beautiful Smile
As a parent, you want the best for your child, and that means healthy teeth and a pleasing smile.
At Thacker Orthodontics, we treat your children like our own by giving them the best possible care.
Kids Should Get an Orthodontic Check-Up By 7
This check-up may reveal that your child's bite is fine, and braces for kids aren't necessary.
By then, your child's teeth have developed enough for subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth to still be spotted while some baby teeth are still present.
Or, Dr. Jim Thacker or Dr. MaryEvan Thacker may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring your child's growth and development, and then, if indicated, begin treatment at the appropriate time for your child.
In other cases, Dr. Jim Thacker or Dr. MaryEvan Thacker might find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.
What Is Early Treatment?
Early treatment may prevent or intercept more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated. We do a great deal of early treatment, also called two-phase treatment.
Dr. Jim Thacker or Dr. MaryEvan Thacker can recognize an upper or lower jaw that's growing too much, not enough, or is too narrow.
If we find that your child over the age of six is found to have certain jaw discrepancies, they're candidates for early orthodontic treatment.
Also, if we see your child around the age of eight has crowded front teeth, early treatment can prevent the need to extract permanent teeth later, or allow permanent teeth to grow into their mouth in a healthy position.
In some cases, Dr. Jim Thacker or Dr. MaryEvan Thacker will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
Choosing the Best Time for Treatment
While the age that kids get braces may vary, orthodontic treatment most often begins between the ages of 9 and 14. Some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they’re treated early.
If Dr. Jim Thacker or Dr. MaryEvan Thacker thinks your child will need treatment, we’ll let you know when it will be best to begin treatment.
This gives your orthodontist the best chance to:
- Guide jaw growth
- Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- Correct harmful oral habits
- Improve appearance and self-esteem in your child
- Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position
- Create a more pleasing arrangement of teeth, lips and face
Signs the Bite's Not Right
It's not always easy to tell when your child may need braces or has an orthodontic problem. Even teeth that look straight may be hiding a problem bite.
Here are some clues that may indicate the need for orthodontic attention:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty chewing or biting
- Breathing through the mouth
- Thumb-sucking
- Crowded, misplaced or blocked-out teeth
- Jaws that are too far forward or back
- Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
- Protruding teeth
- Upper and lower teeth that don't meet, or meet in an abnormal way
- An unbalanced facial appearance
- Grinding or clenching of the teeth
Learn More at Your Free Consultation
If your child has a dental issue, please contact us by setting up a free consultation.
We can talk about your child's orthodontic options and develop a treatment plan customized to your child's needs.