Early childhood development is important for every parent, and that includes a child’s oral health!
It’s understandable how a parent can become concerned about how their child’s teeth are developing, and every parent wants their child to have healthy and straight teeth. There are always many different factors that can prevent good oral health in children, including scenarios like large teeth, extra teeth, an underdeveloped jawline, spaces between teeth and so much more.
If you begin noticing crowding or crookedness within your child’s smile, you should know that you don’t necessarily have to wait for these oral health problems to naturally fix themselves. There are actually a few proven strategies that help parents when it comes to assisting a child’s oral health development, and below we’ll be going over 4 of those effective strategies!
Be Sure To See Your Family Dentist On A Regular Basis
Once your child turns 2 years old, it becomes time for you to schedule dental checkup appointments at least every six months. Regular dental checkups help parents better ensure that their little one’s teeth and jaws are properly developing, and your dentist will also help you address any potential issues before they get worse.
Many of our younger patients are referred to us by dentists throughout the entire Columbus Metro Area, so we fully understand just how important it is to work with your dentist to begin understanding the potential need for orthodontic treatment. Although orthodontic treatment should begin around age seven, it’s always smart for parents to be as prepared as possible and aware of their child’s development from even earlier ages!
Be On The Lookout For Bad Habits
It’s safe to say that it’s 100% adorable when babies suck their thumbs or use pacifiers, and these behaviors are actually very healthy self-soothing strategies for infants. The main issues with thumb sucking occur once a child’s teeth begin developing, because at a certain age these harmless habits actually become troubling due to the pressure that’s placed on the child’s teeth. The pressure associated with thumb sucking is widely known to develop crooked teeth, and it can also be detrimental for jaw development.
A lot of children will stop sucking their thumbs all on their own, but if you notice these types of bad habits around age three or four then it’s a sign that you’ll need to help them break these unhealthy habits. Their future oral health and smile aesthetics will thank you later!
Don’t Wait Too Long
A lot of parents will prematurely freak out at the first signs of something being wrong with their child’s teeth, and other parents will utilize a “wait and see” oral health strategy.
If you notice obvious spaces, teeth overlaps, or if your child has difficulty speaking or eating due to teeth positioning, then you should undoubtedly bring your child into one of our offices for a checkup so we can help you better understand how we can resolve these issues for good.
The truth is that many of these common issues simply don’t fix themselves and only get more pronounced as time goes on, so initiating orthodontic treatment early can support your child’s oral health development tremendously!
Visit JK Orthodontics To Plan Ahead
Age seven is the typical age when most kids should undergo an orthodontic evaluation, but we also see many younger children who’ve been recommended to us by dentists throughout our community. So it’s important for parents to realize that they don’t have to wait until their child is seven to come see us, and you can always make an appointment with Dr. Karpac when you feel it’s the right time.
Early orthodontics has grown in popularity in recent years for a whole variety of reasons, mainly because staring early with treatment can help address minor problems that would otherwise be more difficult to address when the child is older. We’ll be sure to prepare your child for orthodontic treatment through comprehensive X-rays, 3D digital scans and record keeping to ensure that they’re remaining on the right track towards a functional and attractive smile as they get older!
Reach Out To The JK Orthodontics Team To Learn More About Our Early Orthodontics Services!
Every parent has a thousand things going on at all times, so it’s understandable how you’re not always honed in on your child’s jaw alignment and teeth development. But that’s why you should rest easy knowing that there are orthodontic professionals in your local area that are always ready to help!
JK Orthodontics has supported countless families throughout the Columbus Metro Area over the past 30 years, and we’ve developed our reputation as a top family orthodontist through our unparalleled commitment towards patient and parent care.
You can be fully rest assured that we’ll do whatever it takes to guarantee that your child’s teeth are developing as healthy as they possibly can, which gives you one less thing to worry about. Reach out to us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) to speak directly with our staff today and learn more about how we can support your child’s oral health development!