Talking about teeth can be fun, especially when you present your kids with the benefits surrounding orthodontic treatments. From correcting an overbite to straightening misaligned teeth, you’ll enjoy being a parent when you can decide to improve the appearance of your child’s teeth. For now, here’s everything you need to know about talking to your kids about orthodontic treatments.
Conduct An Orthodontics Assessment
First, remember that age 7 is the best time to begin orthodontic treatment, as that’s the age when the teeth are most likely to be affected by dental problems associated with the bite, jaw structure, and positioning of the teeth. From an early age, sit with your child and ask them questions related to how their teeth feel in their mouth. You can ask if they feel comfortable chewing or if they notice misalignment, overbite, or underbite when they’re brushing their teeth in front of the mirror. Collecting information about your child’s teeth from their perspective will give you insight into what orthodontic procedures you might need to pursue later.
Talk About The Effects of Leaving Orthodontic Problems Untreated
If you think about how the mouth is structured, then it’s not hard to imagine the consequences of misaligned, crooked, or missing teeth. Left untreated, the jaw joints take the brunt of the impact, causing headaches, jaw pain, and even face and neck pain. Overbites and underbites can worsen. Crooked teeth can loosen and fall out. And the ability to chew is so severely affected that swallowing and digesting food can be difficult. Ideally, as a parent, discussing these effects will help your child embrace orthodontic treatment faster. That way, your kids might not experience as much anxiety related to the process beforehand.
Discuss Missing, Crowded, or Extra Teeth
Some orthodontic problems, like missing, crowded or extra teeth are genetic. It’s worth discussing orthodontic problems with your child so they won’t feel confused about why their teeth aren’t aligned correctly. For example, the conversation might cover crowded teeth, which occurs as the result of too much space between the teeth. Likewise, given that your child might feel less satisfied with their smile, as is the case with crowded teeth, take time aside after going over the dangers of not getting treatment to instill hope within your child by telling them treatment is available. Orthodontists today have advanced dental technology and tools to fix a wide range of orthodontic problems.
Present Life Without Bite Problems
Part of the anxiety your child feels related to orthodontic problems comes from the inability to see the problem getting better. Severe orthodontic problems can take more than one round of conversation before your child sees the problems related to overbite, underbite, and crossbite can be fixed. Research shows 47% of Invisalign Teen users surveyed experienced an increase in confidence, unlike the 22% of those who chose metal braces. As properly functioning teeth mean a healthier life, the research shows how preparing a serious health plan and roadmap for treatment are you and your child’s best chances of success in orthodontic treatment. Present your child with ideas of what life will look like once their teeth fit in their mouth in a way that’s natural and comfortable. Give them a vision and rest assured, they’ll be eager to get the kind of treatment they need.
Talk About Confidence and Your Child’s Teeth
Finally, after having discussed the outlook of having a better bite and fixing missing or crooked teeth, now is the time to have a serious talk with your child about confidence. At an early age, your children will still want their smiles to look as nice as possible. If serious problems related to tooth structure exist, the hit to your child’s confidence may leave them feeling sad, alienated, even rejected and hurt. As research shows, 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. As a parent, the data shows you’re in a great position to start looking into the best orthodontists. All you need is your home computer and from there, you’ll find the best orthodontist near you.
Talking to your child about orthodontal treatment is difficult when your child is experiencing anxiety or confusion regarding the procedure. Fortunately, you can conduct a pre-assessment before discussing missing, crowded, and even extra teeth. Even then, it’s always worth remembering there is hope for your child’s dental concerns, and they must know it. As long as you choose the best dentist, you can be certain your child will continue smiling with confidence.