Can Early Interventive Orthodontic Treatment Save Money?
Grayslake, IL – If your child has a less than ideal smile, they are certainly not alone. Orthodontic treatment is practically a rite of passage in adolescence. But can beginning treatment at an early age save money, and time, in the future?
Very few people have naturally straight smiles. Orthodontic treatment is here to help ensure that patients can have beautiful, healthy smiles that are ready to last a lifetime. Your child’s first visit to an orthodontist should happen around the age of 7 – this is the age recommended by the American Association of Orthodontists.
Visiting an orthodontist around the age of 7 allows the orthodontist to begin to get an idea of how the child’s smile is taking shape. At this age, there is generally a mix of baby and permanent teeth and the dentist can identify if the jaw is the correct size to accommodate all the erupting permanent teeth.
If your child’s jaw isn’t growing accordingly, the permanent teeth may be crowded and overlapped, and teeth may even protrude. But if an orthodontist recognizes that the arch isn’t growing enough to make adequate space, he can intervene to expand the arch and allow for proper eruption of permanent teeth.
Beginning orthodontic treatment early can save you time and money in the future. If you wait until the permanent teeth have erupted, you may miss your window to help guide the growth of the jaw. Many people believe children don’t need orthodontic treatment until their teen years, but if you wait until then, you may be missing the ideal time to help your child get his or her ideal smile. Waiting until the jaw has stopped growing means that treatment may be harder, which means it will often be more expensive.
Likewise, waiting too long can allow problems to worsen, which means more extensive work may need to be completed to correct the smile and bite. Beginning a relationship with an orthodontist when your child is around the age of 7 allows for the orthodontist to begin treatment at precisely the right time to have the most impact on the smile.
When your orthodontist can work to properly guide the growth of the jaw, it allows for the permanent teeth to be able to erupt in ideal locations. This then makes the straightening, or braces wearing, portion of the treatment much easier and efficient. Early interventive orthodontic treatment can ensure your braces wearing phase of treatment goes by in a flash!
Dr. Stosich treats patients of all ages, and is proud to offer iD Kids Next Generation, a growth and guidance club for children. This club allows Dr. Stosich to monitor your child’s dental and facial growth every six months. Membership is free, but it allows Dr. Stosich the chance to catch developing problems early on in order to treat them in the most minimally invasive way possible.
To enroll your child in iD Kids Next Generation or schedule an appointment, call Dr. Stosich at Stosich Consulting at 847-548-4200 (Grayslake) or 224-408-2200 (Kenilworth).
