For some children, the arrangement of their teeth may not be to their liking. They may dislike the look of their smile and – in some cases – this can affect their self-esteem and social development. This can include crooked teeth, gappy teeth, and even buck teeth. Sometimes it is solely an aesthetic issue, but other times it can also have damaging consequences to the teeth, such as decay (from not being able to brush well) and premature wearing down of teeth.
A great way to address these issues is to straighten the teeth! Not only will it improve your smile, but it can also improve the alignment of your bite and jaws, and make it easier to keep your teeth clean. Orthodontics is the field of dentistry that does just this. And this is not just for kids; adults can have it too!
There are several ways that teeth can be straightened: from the traditional metal brackets to ceramic brackets, and now even clear aligners.
At Parade Dental Ocean Grove, we carry out a general orthodontic evaluation for you and your child to ensure that any potentially damaging misaligned teeth are detected early and actioned upon. Traditionally, orthodontic treatment only started when a child had lost all their baby teeth. In some cases, plates or a short course of braces can be used when a child is growing to allow their mouths and jaws to grow in the correct direction and may mean that they do not need braces – or the correction is simpler – in future.
We also help ensure that your teeth are healthy and strong enough to undergo straightening.It is very important to first have a dental check-up where your teeth are assessed for any decay or gum disease, because this can become undetectable once braces are on your teeth. And the last thing you want is to have straight teeth, but with holes and gum damage!
