Your child’s smile brightens up each day, but there could be some minor issues happening with their tooth alignment. While a few crooked baby teeth aren’t typically a big deal, you’ll want to watch how the adult ones grow in to make sure they are straight. Crooked teeth can eventually lead to several critical problems that can impact your child’s overall wellbeing.
Understand the Problem With Overcrowding
In the best-case scenario, each tooth that your child loses is replaced by an adult tooth that grows perfectly into the new space. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If your child’s teeth are overcrowded, then it isn’t possible for each new tooth to grow properly. In some cases, an overcrowded jaw could stop an adult tooth from growing in completely, or it might come in behind another tooth. This often leads to the problem getting worse without treatment. Children can begin receiving treatments to straighten their teeth as early as the age of seven to make sure that each tooth has space to grow properly.
Listen for Signs of Speech Challenges
Teeth play a big role in helping people to speak, and you might have noticed this the most when your child lost their two front teeth and had a little lisp. Crooked teeth can cause issues with your child’s bite that impacts how they speak in the future. For instance, an over or underbite might cause their tongue to hit their teeth incorrectly. It is essential to have your child’s teeth and jaw alignment examined by the best paediatric dentist in Grayslake, IL, if they are experiencing speech difficulties.
Watch Out For an Increase In Cavities
Your reminders to brush their teeth are important for helping your child to develop good oral hygiene habits. However, they may still develop frequent cavities if their teeth fit so close together that the toothbrush and floss can’t reach in between. Overcrowded teeth are known for trapping food between them, which increases the risk of tooth decay. Straightening your child’s teeth will help to create more space between them that reduces food traps. You can also choose clear braces that allow your child to remove them when it is time to brush so that they hit all of their tooth surfaces.
Recognize the Risk of Broken Teeth
As your child chews their food, their teeth need to strike just right to prevent painful collisions with the other jaw. If teeth are overcrowded, then this could be putting too much pressure on adjacent teeth as they hit each other with great force. This not only can lead to jaw and tooth pain but it can also cause the teeth to experience premature wear on striking surfaces. In severe cases, your child’s teeth might even break from exposure to heavy forces. Once a tooth is broken, it might need a crown to strengthen it. Or, a severely broken tooth might require extraction. Making sure that your child’s teeth are straight can prevent unnecessary tooth loss.
Prevent Unnecessary Pain
The thought of your child being in pain may make you cringe, and it is unlikely that they’ll experience serious discomfort when their adult teeth are growing crooked. The problems tend to develop over time, but having cavities, broken teeth or requiring more extensive orthodontic treatment down the road can all lead to considerable pain. Correcting minor misalignments now can also help to prevent co-occurring conditions such as TMJ or nighttime teeth grinding.
Consider the Connection to Self-Esteem
At the end of the day, you just want your child to be happy. As your child matures, you can expect that they’ll begin to focus more on their appearance, and smiles play a big part in a child’s self-esteem. Having a straight smile makes children feel confident with flashing their pearly whites at the people that they meet. In addition to loving how they look in the mirror, your child will be more likely to want to reach out and say hello to a new friend or attend social events when they like their smile.
During your child’s dental checkups, their dentist will check to see if their adult teeth are growing properly. If not, then don’t worry. Early orthodontic treatment can give your child a straighter smile that reflects their inner beauty.