Parents are very concerned about the health and aesthetics of their children's teeth, and the correction of irregular teeth is the main problem of outpatient consultation. At the same time, parents often struggle with the age at which their children begin to correct their teeth. Some parents think that the sooner the orthodontics are done, the better, some think that it is okay to do orthodontics after changing teeth, and some parents think that they will wait until their children grow up and become adults.
So, when exactly should you do orthodontics? Today, I would like to invite Huang Xiaofeng, director of the Department of Stomatology of Beijing Friendship Hospital, to talk to you about the choice of timing for children's orthodontics.
For simple misaligned teeth, the best time to start correcting teeth is in the early stages of permanent teeth, that is, around the age of 12, when the replacement of permanent teeth in baby teeth ends, permanent teeth erupt and a bite relationship is established.
However, if the patient has jaw dysplasia before the permanent teeth stage, or if there is a condition that may affect the normal development of the subsequent craniomaxillofacial area, the cause needs to be removed as soon as possible for early prevention or correction. Here are a few common scenarios.
Anti-jaw
It is commonly known as "the earth covers the sky". 3.5 years to 5 years old is the best time to treat reverse jaw of baby teeth, and carry out early intervention of reverse jaw of front teeth. Early permanent teeth, around the age of 6-7 years, the child's upper and lower incisors are usually replaced. At this time, if there is a reverse jaw of the front teeth, it is one of the key periods for treatment. At this time, the treatment of anterior teeth can not only promote the normal growth of the maxilla, inhibit the overdevelopment of the mandible, but also avoid more serious bony malocclusion and reduce tooth occlusion trauma.
Hypoplasia of the mandible
For patients with receding mandibular, functional orthopedic treatment can be carried out by using the growth and development potential of the patient to promote the development of the mandible and reduce the difficulty of orthodontic treatment in the future. In general, the treatment is carried out when the child grows and develops the fastest, about 9-10 years old for girls and 10-11 years old for boys. Consult an orthodontist, and you can choose a more accurate time point for treatment through professional means.
Bad habits
For example, tongue sticking habits, mouth breathing habits, eating hand habits, lateral chewing habits, etc., need to be corrected as soon as possible to create good conditions for the growth and development of the jaw.
Other anomalies
Individual teeth reversed, permanent teeth replacement abnormalities, etc. It usually needs to be detected under the examination of a professional doctor and early intervention.
It is recommended that children have regular oral health and orthodontic examinations as soon as possible, and timely intervention is carried out on some adverse conditions that affect the growth and development of the jaw before the replacement of permanent teeth is completed, so as to reduce the occurrence and severity of malocclusion as much as possible and reduce the difficulty and risk of orthodontic treatment during the permanent teeth in the future.
Text/Huang Xiaofeng (Source: Beijing Youth Daily)