Santa Barbara parents want what’s best for their youth, but some can’t always provide everything their children need when the family budget is tight. If your child has crooked teeth and you are on the fence about braces, we encourage you to read this post.
1. A beautiful smile with straight teeth boosts your child’s self-esteem.
Young children with crooked teeth may not notice that anything is wrong, but eventually they will realize that their teeth don’t look right. Straight teeth make the whole face more pleasing and attractive. If your child is self-conscious about an unattractive smile, he or she will be reluctant to smile. A serious demeanor could affect the way he or she is treated by peers.
2. Crooked teeth can impact the bite.
If you suspect that your child’s bite is not aligned, we invite you to make an appointment with King Dental Group. Dr. Jon King can evaluate your child’s bite and make recommendations to see a specialist if needed.
3. Crooked teeth can affect normal speech development.
4. Correcting a child’s teeth with orthodontia is faster and easier when the jaw is young and flexible.
5. Crooked teeth can cut down your child’s capacity to eat a healthy diet.
Misaligned teeth can make chewing and eating difficult. Children need a variety of foods but may miss out on essential nutrients if they can’t chew raw vegetables or meat, for example. If your child only eats soft foods, his/her jaw may not develop normal size and strength.
6. Misaligned teeth can damage the gums and underlying bone.
7. If crooked teeth cause malocclusion (bad bite), troubles with TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders) can result.
TMD is a dangerous condition affecting the jaw joint.
8. It’s easier to clean teeth when they are straight and uncrowded.
When uneven teeth begin to crowd together, it becomes challenging to make vital daily cleanings effective. And, when your teeth aren’t cleaned properly, problems with plaque build-up, cavities, and gum disease typically result.
9. If the child’s crooked teeth are not fixed while they are young, the issues may compound and become worse with age.
Severely crooked teeth often influence vitality and quality of life. For example, chewing problems can lead to ulcers, and gum disease increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
10. There are many new types of braces.
Ceramic, self-ligating, and lingual (invisible) braces are some of the new orthodontia options. In some circumstances, invisible braces can be just as effective at straightening teeth as the traditional type.
To find out if your child needs braces, schedule a consultation at King Dental Group by calling 805-687-1548.
