How to Ensure Your Children Get Straight Teeth

Young girl holds younger sibling's mouth to show teeth

When teeth are straight, you don’t think about it. But when they are not—it’s very obvious and it can have negative effects on your life. When it comes to ensuring your children have straight teeth, you’re constantly thinking about their oral health.

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Many genetics go into teeth, which is not something you can control. All you can do is talk with your orthodontist and make sure you act as soon as you know something isn’t right with your children’s teeth.

Here is what you need to know about straight teeth and ways to ensure your children end up with a straight, confidence-boosting smile.

Why Straight Teeth Are Important

As long as they’re in the mouth and can chew food, do straight teeth really matter? It may seem a silly question, but it’s a good one to ask to remind us why our teeth are important.

First, teeth are necessary for effective eating habits. We need teeth to tear and chew food. When teeth are crooked, they also create pockets that are great breeding zones for bacteria and plaque build-up, which leads to cavities and holes in your teeth (which can lead to no teeth at all).

Beyond that, straight teeth have a psychological effect on people. When a person’s smile is straight, he or she is more likely to smile. Someone more likely to smile is going to have more confidence and be recognized for it.

If you want your child to be healthy, confident, and successful, straight teeth are important.

How to Notice Teeth Going Crooked

There are subtle tells that teeth are going crooked, and not all of them will be visible to you as a parent. Baby teeth that may seem fine now may actually be on a collision course with one another!

The Canadian Association of Orthodontists recommends children should visit an orthodontist by age seven to look for developing issues, such as crowded teeth, narrow or underdeveloped jaws, cross bites, overbites, or underbites. Early detection and treatment may result in less treatment as your child’s mouth is much more susceptible to alterations as it develops.

Teeth-Straightening Procedures

In young children, Phase I orthodontics can help reduce or even prevent the need for more invasive treatments in the future. Early intervention with the use of expanders, partial braces, and other orthodontic appliances may mean your child can avoid braces as a pre-teen, teenager, or adult.

Even when more intensive treatments are required, such as braces, there are so many options available today—options that are much better than even when you were a child. Having to wear braces is not the horror it once was. Clear or ceramics braces make them nearly invisible, and traditional metal braces tech are smaller and more effective than ever.

All this means is that there’s no reason your child should suffer through crooked teeth. Whether you’re dealing with your toddler’s first teeth or a teenager with an errant adult tooth, the options are plentiful and appropriate for everyone’s situation. Talk with your orthodontist and set up regular appointments for your children.

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