You know the secret to a beautiful smile relies on the health and appearance of your child’s teeth. Sometimes, the alignment of their teeth involves more than just aesthetic issues. There are times when their positioning can cause complications with their daily life, like their ability to chew or breathe. To protect their oral functions, it is best to correct the problems early. Functional orthodontics in Franklin gives your child the foundation they need for a healthy, functional smile.
Conventional Orthodontics vs. Functional Orthodontics
Conventional orthodontics has been the common solution to resolve alignment issues for decades; however, in the 1980s, functional orthodontics began to transform the way teeth are moved into position. The biggest difference between the two involves the age treatment begins. Functional orthodontics is based on the foundation of correcting issues early to lessen the need for lengthy or invasive treatments in the future.
By intervening potential complications early, it reduces the risk of needing teeth to be extracted later in life to resolve overcrowding. It can also improve airway problems that may lead to breathing difficulties or correct bite problems that can cause disorders of the temporomandibular joint later in life.
It is recommended treatment starts around the age of 7 because your child is still growing. This makes it easy to expand the arches to add extra space to resolve crowded teeth. This ensures the permanent teeth have enough room to properly erupt to reduce the risk for needing extractions in the future.
In addition, your dentist in Franklin can also correct bite issues by improving the way the upper and lower jaw come together. This enhances the function of the temporomandibular joint to prevent TMJ disorders, speech difficulties, or trouble chewing.
By ensuring the proper development of the arches, the position of the mandible in relation to the maxilla, and the ideal vertical dimension is created for a functional smile. There will be a balance between the head, neck, and facial muscles.
Aesthetic concerns are addressed later using braces or Invisalign. Since the major issues were corrected early, it means a shorter treatment time to achieve a straight smile. Typically, this is the last phase of the process, which usually occurs between the ages of 12 to 15.
Invest in Your Child’s Future
Although 7 years of age may seem a bit young for braces, it is best to schedule their first orthodontic consultation sooner rather than later. By assessing the alignment of their teeth and bite before they finish growing, you give them the foundation to a lifelong healthy, beautiful smile.
Do not wait for the issues to worsen. Invest in their smile with an orthodontic consultation.
About Dr. Paige Prather
Dr. Paige Prather provides specialty pediatric dentistry to help treat unique situations that may impact your child’s health and development. She offers functional orthodontics to create a healthy, functional smile through all stages of life. If your child has not had an orthodontic consultation, contact our office today to schedule an appointment.