What Causes Orthodontic Problems?
Some orthodontic problems are inherited, such as tooth size and jaw size which may lead to crowding or spacing of teeth. Overbites, under bites, extra or missing teeth, and irregularities of the face and jaws also can be inherited.
But most orthodontic problems stem from small occurrences that begin early in life and then develop into major deformities as the child grows.
Other orthodontic problems can be caused from accidents, dental decay which can lead to the premature loss of teeth and growth space. A number of childhood habits can lead to orthodontics problems, such as sucking on a thumb, finger, pacifier or lip.
Mouth breathing, swallowing difficulty and tongue-thrust, Teeth grinding, forward head posture, and runny nose are evidence of your child's struggle to breath and live. Most often these are symptoms of enlarged tonsils and adenoids brought on by allergies.
It is critical to realize that we have a small window of time to detect and treat developing abnormalities in a growing child. Usually from infancy until about age 8. After that, we are usually dealing with an established facial deformity that is not impossible, but is much harder to treat. There is a huge difference in time of treatment and satisfaction in results between an 8 year old and a 12 year old.
It is also true that early detection and start of treatment should be done as soon as possible in life, if needed. A small nudge in the right direction, at the right time, can guide your developing child's facial growth in the right direction. Using the body's natural program for development and growth, your child's facial development will right itself and follow the correct pathway for optimum health. Often, the small nudge early, is all that is needed and extensive and expensive treatment may not have to be done later.
