What You Need To Know About Helping Your Kids Prevent Braces

Sometimes kids need braces when they have gotten all their permanent teeth but have problems with alignment or crowding. Braces are given to correct "orofacial" appearance issues. Your children may need braces no matter what you do or how well they take care of their teeth. However, sometimes braces can be prevented. Here's what you can do to help your kids avoid braces.

Take Your Kids for a Check-Up and Preventative Care Every Six Months

When children start losing their baby teeth, it's especially important that you take your kids in to see a general dentist for regular check-ups at least once every six months. You may need to do so more frequently if the dentist recommends it for your child's situation. The dentist may need to pull a baby tooth that may be causing problems or is likely to in the future, or other specific care instructions may be given for your child's unique oral health situation.

By taking your kids to the dentist for regular check-ups, the dentist can more easily spot small issues and fix them before they escalate into problems that need to be corrected. For example, issues like overbites, underbites, gaps between teeth, and misaligned teeth can sometimes be handled without braces depending on the severity of the situation.

If a child's adult teeth are growing in behind their baby teeth that are taking too long to come out, it can cause problems that lead to braces. However, a dentist can help remedy the situation early if your child is going for regular dental exams. Extracting the baby teeth in that situation can help the adult teeth come in without going into a cross bite that can cause functional and aesthetic problems for the child.

Encourage Your Child's Oral Health Care

Encourage your children to brush their teeth at least twice per day, making sure they brush for at least two minutes each time they brush. Monitor flossing and swishing with mouthwash, too. If your children are proactive about their own dental health, they may be able to avoid getting braces.

At the same time, it's important that kids know that braces aren't any kind of punishment. Try to talk about braces as though they are in neutral. They are simply something that some kids need to straighten their teeth and have the best smile possible.

Finally, keep in mind that braces are not preventable for everyone. It depends on the unique situations and dental health status of your kids. When you show your kids that you care about their dental health, they often take an interest in it, too, and you may be able to work together to prevent braces or other dental health issues. For more information, contact companies like Lake Pleasant Dentistry.

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