Top 5 Ways Braces Encourage Healthy Development

Orthodontic treatment is vital for your child's development, including his or her oral health, self-esteem and even their ability to speak clearly. It's well worth spending a bit of time in braces to get the advantages of straight teeth, a more attractive smile and improved oral health. In fact, these days, it's recommended that children get their first orthodontic consultation at the age of seven to optimize healthy development. An early consultation with the specialists at Docbraces can provide a number of benefits over waiting until the teenaged years, and your child will appreciate the following developmental advantages:

1. Braces can help your child develop and maintain self-esteem in the long run. With early correction, treatment can last as little as 15 months, and once it is over, children score higher on standard markings for emotional and social well-being. If more correction is needed later, children who have had early correction work may not need to wear braces for as long once they're teenagers.
2. Early correction can affect the development of the jaw during critical years, resulting in better facial development, less risk of speech defects, and an overall improvement in your child's appearance.
3. Straight teeth are easier to keep clean than crooked, crowded teeth, reducing the potential for developing tooth decay and gum disease. In the event your child needs fillings or crowns later in life, it is far easier for dentists to do the work if the teeth are straight.
4. Straight teeth are more efficient when your child eats; a child with crooked or poorly placed teeth can end up with digestive problems and reduced nutrient absorption, which can negatively impact his or her physical and mental development. Children who have had corrective treatment are also less likely to develop bad oral habits such as thumb sucking.
5. Protruding front teeth are prone to injury. Because of the rate at which children develop, correcting over and underbite can only be done early in life, reducing the risk of damage to the teeth. Applying corrective work early reduces the risk of the child needing jaw surgery or extraction of healthy permanent teeth later, and reduces the risk of impacted wisdom teeth.

One in three children can benefit from some degree of orthodontic correction. At age seven the permanent incisors are in and an orthodontist is able to forecast which problems may develop later. During your child's consultation, you may even discover that your child is one of the lucky ones who needs no work at all. In the event they do need braces, an early consultation with the specialists at Docbraces will ensure your child’s healthy development is optimized in both the short term and for life.There are many affordable and effective solutions available to you for ensuring your child gets the safest and best orthodontic care. Download Docbraces’ easy-to-understand manual, the FREE Parent's Guide to the Benefits of Braces to stay on top of the advantages available to you and your child.