Early Braces Treatment: Signs to start

If your child’s teeth appear crowded, overlapped, or misaligned, it could be a sign that orthodontic intervention is needed. Straight teeth contribute not only to a beautiful smile but also to better oral health.

Crooked teeth that come into the mouth at a very poor angle often block other adult teeth. This then causes subsequent adult teeth to erupt in the wrong position.

Adult teeth tilting in a weird angle or position may indicate bigger problems ‘brewing’ under the gums, such as extra teeth, cysts or abnormal position of developing adult teeth.

Parents often use an ‘overbite’ to describe upper front teeth protruding or sticking out in front of the lower front teeth. The correct dental terminology for this is Overjet. 

A large ‘overbite’ can be caused by:

• A short lower jaw (mandible)
• A large upper jaw (maxilla)
• Large upper front teeth
• Small or missing lower front teeth
• Extra upper front teeth
• Disease eg: gum disease, cysts

Problems caused by an ‘overbite’:

Trauma! Studies have shown that front teeth that stick out more than 6mm from the lower teeth are 4 times more likely to suffer from damage caused by trauma to the face and mouth!

Speech! With front teeth sticking out, it gets harder to pronounce specific speech sounds like ‘fff’ and ‘th’.

Self-Esteem! The upper front teeth sticking out between the lips can significantly affect a child’s self-esteem. Name-calling such as ‘bugs bunny teeth’ can be hurtful to a young child.

Find out how our Orthodontic Team at MyBracesClinic uses Growth Modification to redirect jaw growth in a growing child.

An underbite (lower front teeth in front of the upper front teeth) leads to a classic ‘Crescent moon’ facial profile where the middle of your child’s face may look ‘sunken’ inwards with a long lower jaw sticking out.

An underbite can be caused by:

• A longer lower jaw (mandible)
• A shorter upper jaw (maxilla)
• Small or missing upper front teeth
• Large lower front teeth
• Family trait of long lower jaws
• Postural habit of the lower jaw due to dental interferences

Problems caused by an underbite:

Speech! An underbite makes it harder to control airflow through the lips, causing lisp or speech issues.

Self-Esteem! Patients with an underbite may appear older than their peers due to how the soft tissue drapes over the skeletal imbalance. This can adversely affect a growing child’s self-esteem.

An underbite is a complex problem that must be assessed by our experienced Orthodontic Team from 7 years old.

A crooked bite is where the upper and lower teeth do not sit well on top of each other in the middle of the face. Often, one side of the teeth appears to be pushed out. The face and smile may appear slanted to one side.

A crooked bite can be caused by:

• Asymmetric growth in upper versus lower jaw
• Narrow upper arch
• Postural habit of the lower jaw due to dental interferences

Problems caused by a crooked bite:

Asymmetric facial growth! The developing face of a child with asymmetry will worsen during puberty. If the asymmetry is caused by dental interferences, simple, early intervention with orthodontics will go a long way to normalizing growth patterns in a young child and prevent more complex and expensive work in the future.

Jaw pain and ulcers! Patients with a crooked bite  may develop jaw joint aches as the jaw joints are unevenly loaded during function. With teeth positioned unnaturally in a crooked bite, it is expected to hear of affected children complaining of frequent mouth ulcers and accidental cheek or lip biting. 

An crooked bite is a complex problem that must be assessed by our experienced Orthodontic Team from 7 years old.

If your child experiences early loss of baby teeth without the corresponding eruption of permanent teeth, or if permanent teeth seem delayed in emerging compared to its partner on the opposite side, then it’s advisable to consult with our orthodontist. Timely intervention can prevent potential complications. An adult tooth that refuses to appear in the mouth may be missing forever or impacted (stuck) under the gums.

Baby teeth reserve the space for the next adult tooth to emerge at a specific time of a child’s growth. Early loss of baby teeth from extensive tooth decay or spontaneous exfoliation is BAD news. Steps should be taken to preserve the space to prevent severe dental crowding in the future.

Prolonged thumb-sucking or other oral habits can impact teeth alignment and jaw development. If these habits persist beyond 5 years old, it may adversely change the facial shape of a child and contribute to orthodontic problems that are more difficult to treat as time passes.

Children who habitually breathe through their mouths rather than their noses, may develop orthodontic problems. With time, this can affect the positioning of the teeth and jaw shape, leading to potential alignment issues. Chronic mouth breathing often indicates airway obstruction, and this must also be investigated to target the root cause.

Problems with speech development, such as difficulty pronouncing certain sounds, could be linked to orthodontic issues. An orthodontic evaluation can help determine if braces are needed to address these concerns.