A lot of parents want to plan out their child’s orthodontic treatment as much as possible, so here’s an overview of the treatment process.
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to deal with all sorts of situations as sensibly and as calmly as possible, which generally leads to good outcomes.
This type of thought process directly coincides with your child’s orthodontic treatment, because as we all know there are countless teenagers that aren’t too thrilled about the initial idea of getting braces.
If your child needs braces, then it’s important to understand the fundamentals of the treatment process. Although the orthodontic treatment process is relatively straightforward, there are still many different steps and best practices that you should know about to ensure a smooth braces experience for your child.
So below we’ll be discussing an overview of the orthodontic treatment process!
How Parents Can Know If Their Child Needs Braces
There are many different warning signs and symptoms that parents should be on the lookout for that will help them indicate whether or not orthodontic treatment will be necessary. These types of symptoms will typically present themselves when a child is about 6 or 7, but there isn’t any definitive age when these issues will present themselves to parents.
Some of the common first signs that many parents will recognize in their child include the following:
- Crooked teeth
- Overcrowded teeth
- Bite misalignments
- And other malocclusions
Other types of jaw issues may be how a parent recognizes the need for their child’s orthodontic treatment, and some common jaw issues include fractures, falls, prolonged thumb sucking and early loss of baby teeth.
It’s also simply important for parents to realize that if they got braces when they were a kid, then it’s likely that your children are also going to need orthodontic treatment simply due to genetics!
Your Initial Consultation With Dr. Karpac
Your child is more than likely going to have a significant amount of dental visit experience before they meet Dr. Karpac during an initial consultation visit, and many times local dentists throughout the Columbus Metro Area will refer patients who need orthodontic treatment to our team.
When you and your child come in for your initial consultation, Dr. Karpac will perform a comprehensive oral examination to closely monitor the development of your child’s teeth, mouth and jaw. We’ll also ask you for a detailed report on your child’s overall oral health, and this will include any oral hygiene behavior patterns that you’ve recognized.
We’ll then conduct a series of dental X-rays to help us better understand your child’s overall need for braces, and we’ll also produce a teeth mold to help us better determine the best treatment options that coincide with your child’s unique needs.
You should also know that we’re currently providing virtual appointments so that Dr. Karpac can verify your child’s current oral health condition before even coming into one of our office locations!
Deciding The Right Type Of Orthodontic Treatment For Your Child
Dr. Karpac and our staff will help you better understand the right type of orthodontic treatment for your child, but we’ll of course always ensure that you and your child’s personal preferences are met.
Metal braces tend to be the more common type of orthodontic treatment for young kids and teenagers, but you’ll also have ceramic braces and our very own invisible aligner technology called Line-M-Up™ available for your child.
Some younger patients may require headgear or a palate expander, but we’ll help you when it comes to understanding what exactly is necessary to provide your child with the most efficient and cost-effective treatment results.
Helping Your Child Take Proper Care Of Their Braces
One of the toughest aspects of orthodontic treatment from a parent’s perspective is getting their child to take proper care of their braces throughout treatment, and many times it’s on parents to teach children best practices and routines to care for their orthodontic equipment.
But you can also be rest assured that we’ll be there for you and your child by providing a guide and a whole array of tips to support you throughout the entirety of the treatment.
The number one thing that parents should emphasize to their child during treatment is brushing and flossing after each meal, and this is particularly important while a child is wearing braces because food particles and plaque can be more difficult to remove when it’s in between brackets and wires.
The other thing that parents should do during their child’s orthodontic treatment is try to keep junk food away from them as much as you can. This of course can be a pretty big ask for any parent, but you should know that junk food like candy and soda can have a seriously detrimental effect on a younger patient’s teeth and oral health.
Reach Out To JK Orthodontics For More Parenting Tips For When Your Child Needs Orthodontic Treatment
JK Orthodontics has helped countless parents throughout the Columbus Metro Area for over 30 years when it comes to supporting them and their children going through orthodontic treatment, and we’ll be there for you to help you manage the initial convincing and hygiene education parts of the process that may be easier said than done!
So always feel free to reach out to us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) to get in touch with our team and let us know how we can support your child with expert, comprehensive orthodontic services!