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Finding a child's teeth not developing as planned can be a big source of concern for many parents.

Simple yet effective treatments can result from an orthodontic assessment of your child, while keeping you rest assured of your child’s dental condition. Either you or your general dentist can make an appointment with our orthodontic clinic for an initial evaluation.

A healthy smile begins in childhood

Canadian and American orthodontist associations recommend an initial consultation with an orthodontist at age 7. During this visit, the orthodontist conducts a comprehensive assessment of your child's dental development, evaluating their teeth and their occlusion (bite).

By this age, some permanent teeth would have already erupted, but there still several milk teeth in the child’s mouth. By following the growth and development of your child's teeth, the orthodontist can gauge the best time to intervene to avoid any potentially serious problems later on.

The following three procedures may be suggested after the first appointment:

1- Observation

2- Prevention

Limiting problems that may potentially get aggravated in the future. Here are examples of preventive measures that can be undertaken:

• Taking X-rays to check if all adult teeth are present

• Decreasing the width of certain milk teeth

• Extractions of certain teeth to create space for some new adult teeth coming in, especially in the front
   
• A lingual frenectomy to allow normal development of the maxilla

3- Intervention

If there is problem that is likely to prevent normal teeth development or affects jaw growth, an intervention is recommended. For example:

• Installing an appliance for correcting a front or back cross occlusion

• Using an oral screen to stop bad habits (e.g lip biting, tongue thrusting etc.) and to control and correct the position of the tongue.

• Maintaining adequate space during premature loss of one or more teeth

As the teenage years arrive, a comprehensive orthodontic treatment can be initiated and carried out, unless preventive measures have already corrected the oral problems that were previously identified.

Frequent dental problems in children 

Here are the most commonly seen dental problems in children:

• A very narrow palate (See page on Palatine Expansion)
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Misaligned teeth
• Poor jaw positioning
• Loss of space due to cavities
• Crowded teeth
• Lingual propulsion
• Thumb sucking

If the above dental malocclusions are not treated in time, they may increase in severity, resulting in more complex orthodontic treatments in the future.