5 Key Benefits of Early Orthodontics

Early orthodontics can benefit your child's dental development

Start with an early orthodontics evaluation.

Did you have braces when you were a child? If so, do you remember how old you were? The chances are that you didn’t get your braces until you were a teenager. Or, perhaps you are undergoing orthodontic treatment now as an adult. But, children often start to lose their baby teeth around age 6 or 7, which means that dentists can get visibility to future oral health concerns at an early age. For this reason, it might surprise you to know that children can benefit from early orthodontics. Early orthodontic evaluations can help assess whether or not your child would benefit from early orthodontics.

One of the best things that you can do for your child’s oral health and future smile is to bring them in for an early orthodontics evaluation around age 7. These early assessments can bring lifelong benefits to your child. Not only can an orthodontics evaluation help decrease your child’s likelihood of developing a dental injury, but resulting orthodontic treatment can help make eating, speaking, and even breathing easier. Orthodontic treatment at a young age can help improve your child’s self-esteem for the long haul and can reduce the need for future dental repairs or treatments.

5 Benefits for Early Orthodontic Treatment

A ResearchGate study conducted several years ago was set up to identify the risks and benefits of early orthodontic therapies. During this test on 200 children, it was identified that malocclusions observed and treated at an early stage encountered less tooth decay and were less likely to experience early tooth loss. Early orthodontic intervention can help correct underbites, crossbites, crowded teeth, excessively spaced teeth, extra or missing teeth, or teeth that have started to grow abnormally.

Check out our list of 5 benefits that come from early orthodontics for your child.

1. Early orthodontic evaluations can provide a game plan.

Okay, so we understand that this isn’t necessarily a benefit of orthodontic treatment, but it’s important to note that the entire process starts with the evaluation. When we get an opportunity to assess your child’s overall oral health and can take a look at their dental and medical history plus the results of some oral X-rays, we can provide a better preliminary treatment plan. Not only that, but getting in to see us for this assessment can help you and your child become more familiar with the team at Pediatric Dental Specialists, Dr. Reimer, our office, and our services.

As an outcome of your assessment, Dr. Reimer will identify if no treatment is expected, if there is a problem that would benefit from early treatment, or if your child may need treatment down the road.

2. We’re problem solvers here at Pediatric Dental Specialists.

Around the age of 6 or 7, your child will likely start experiencing the healthy loss of their baby teeth. At this time, we can identify potential challenge areas related to your child’s bite, jaw alignment, tooth spacing, and more. This means that we can correct those issues early on so that your child will experience fewer problems later in life.

3. Early orthodontics saves time.

The sooner that we can address and fix a problem spot for your child, the better. Kids who begin orthodontic treatment before the age of 12 often have the shortest treatment duration. This means that treatments can take as little as 12 months compared to 12 to 24 months for older teens or adults. And, even though today’s kids are busier than ever, it is often easier for kids to take the time for their appointments at a young age.

4. Early orthodontics detection can save money.

Parents often appreciate the opportunity to take care of minor problems before they become expensive big problems. Orthodontics and braces can be costly, with out-of-pocket expenses often exceeding $3,000 depending on your insurance coverage. The earlier your child receives a consultation, the sooner that parents can start saving for orthodontia-related future expenditures. In many cases, an assessment will identify that treatment will be needed a few years down the road. This gives parents some line of sight to what they might want to pocket away.

5. Early orthodontics protects that future smile.

We believe in protecting your child’s future smile as we know that early orthodontics can help improve your child’s appearance and self-confidence. Straight white teeth help to make your child more confident and can make them more approachable too. And though braces might look a bit complicated, they do an amazing job of creating straight teeth that are in the proper position.

Let the Pediatric Dental Specialists team assess your child’s need for early orthodontics.

If you are in the Omaha, Nebraska area and have been online searching for an orthodontist near me, or a children’s orthodontist near me, then look no further. The Pediatric Dental Specialists team is ready to help. To schedule an early orthodontic assessment, request an appointment using our easy-to-use online form. Dr. Reimer and the team look forward to meeting you and your child and discussing your orthodontics treatment plan.