Four Factors To Consider When Deciding On Whether Or Not To Give Your Children Orthodontic Care

Orthodontic care is a difficult topic for parents to consider. Children are often referred to orthodontists for the first time at a young age, often by their family dentists. While some orthodontic issues take longer to arise, many present when children are quite young, which gives their parents a lot of questions to debate. For one thing, it’s important to understand that while you should likely listen to your dentist and follow up on their recommended referral, you are not required to do so.

For another, a referral to an orthodontist doesn’t mean that your child is definitely going to need orthodontic treatment. Some parents don’t like the idea of following up on what an orthodontist recommends, believing that their care is largely focused on cosmetic issues. Others would like to follow up on the recommended care, but don’t do so because they believe they won’t be able to afford it.

In fact, there are a lot of options available that will not only be more affordable than you might think, but would have a long term positive impact on your child. But before you even go to that first appointment, here are some things to consider when debating whether or not your child needs orthodontic treatment.

1. It’s Best To Start Early

You probably know that it’s best to start taking your child to the dentist when they’re young, ideally as soon as they develop their first baby teeth. This is important not only for the care of your child’s teeth, but for their emotional well-being, as they need to get used to the sensation of wearing braces from a young age. Conversely, it is usually recommended for children to begin receiving orthodontic care when they’re seven years old. Why the gap? Well, orthodontic treatment is usually meant to treat not only the individual teeth, but the way that they align and the way the jaw aligns. Children usually don’t have all of their baby teeth in place, with their alignment settling in, until they are around the age of seven. But nonetheless, the earlier they begin receiving this care, the better, as they will get used to it and also grow under the orthodontists’ watch. Therefore, any issues they have can be caught early.

2. Orthodontic Problems Are Easier To Treat In Children

You can choose to go against the recommendations of your doctors and decline orthodontic treatment; at times, the issues are purely cosmetic, without any immediate physical problems being apparent. However, when your children grow up, they will have the same orthodontic problems nonetheless. They may even be worse. This means that your children will need to seek treatment on their own as adults, and may struggle to correct their issues due to the fact that they are no longer growing. Keep this in mind before deciding against orthodontic treatment for your child.

3. Orthodontic Care Is More Affordable Than You Think

A lot of Americans believe that orthodontic care is overly expensive, and out of their budget. However, it’s important to remember that not only is this crucial medical care; it’s also often covered by insurance plans. For that matter, there are a lot of more affordable braces on the market. You don’t have to choose the most expensive option to get quality care, and a lot of orthodontist offices offer different financing options, making treatment more accessible than ever before.

4. It’s Vital To Your Child’s Well-Being

Orthodontic care is not something that is merely meant to treat cosmetic issues. In fact, there are real problems that can be solved through dental care, and orthodontic care in particular. A misaligned jaw or an overbite might not seem like a major issue in theory, but over time it can grow out of hand, causing pain as well as issues with chewing and even speaking. Therefore, it’s important to take these problems seriously and to seek orthodontic treatment for our children as soon as possible.

Ultimately, you should take the opportunity to begin orthodontic care as soon as possible. The sooner you begin, the more your children will be used to it, and the healthier they will be.