A young girl sits in a dental chair covering her mouth while a dentist in purple scrubs holding dental instruments prepares for an exam.

When Does My Child Need Surgical Orthodontics?

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Surgical orthodontics can correct a variety of issues, but it’s also one of the more invasive treatments that you can choose. So, if you’re going to sign your child up for it, it helps to have a solid understanding of the exact benefits of the procedure. Here, we’ll look at when it’s necessary and how the right orthodontist in East Bradenton, FL can make a difference.

Why Consider Surgery?

Most parents start looking into surgical options when alternative treatments are unlikely to work. For example, extreme overbites, chin protrusion, or severely misaligned jaws can cause anything from eating issues to severe headaches. If other products, such as braces or headgear, aren’t going to help, then surgery may be the last resort to fix these issues.

What Types of Orthodontic Surgery Are Available?

The answer depends on who you see and where you see them. However, most people will look into jaw surgery, whether it’s to correct the bite or to correct for facial asymmetry, or chin reshaping as an option. These procedures can not only make it easier to eat and speak, it can also correct anything from chin protrusion to severe underbites to long faces.

As a general rule, children are often better candidates for orthodontic surgery in East Bradenton, FL, largely because their teeth, bones, and gums are more malleable when they’re young. However, it’s also proven to be effective for people of all ages, and you shouldn’t hesitate to contact a surgeon if your child is well into their teens.

At Orthodontic Specialists, you’ll work with a team that can help you piece the puzzle together. We know it’s a big step to schedule a surgery, which is why we work with patients to help not only answer questions but address any potential fears or concerns.

How to Get Your Child to Wear Their Mouth Guard

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Mouthguards are an incredible device for people of any age. Even the most basic mouthguard, which can be purchased at nearly any drugstore or big box store store, can save your child from tooth loss or trauma. In some cases, mouthguards can even save parents from the expense and hassle of braces. Of course, this is true only if they wear it. Here, we’ll look at what you can do to ensure that they wear it.

Talking to Your Kids

Mouthguards can be worn for any number of reasons. Some kids might wear them during sports, while others will wear them at night to help them shift their teeth into the proper positions. It can help to teach your children why they’re wearing the mouthguard, and how it can help them avoid a mouthful of metal or a missing gap in their smile.

Establish Habits

Just as you helped your child establish habits for showering, brushing their teeth, and going to bed at the same time, you’ll need to get them into the habit of popping in a mouthguard in Parrish, FL every time they don a helmet or climb under the covers. If you play sports, whether it’s basketball or football or if you need a mouth guard to protect your teeth from grinding, make sure that you’re setting a good example!

Consult an Orthodontist in Parrish

An orthodontist in Parrish can potentially integrate a mouthguard into early orthodontic treatment in Parrish, which can help you protect your child’s teeth and bite and potentially reduce their need for more costly treatments down the line. They may even be able to get through to your child if you’re having a tough time convincing them! At Orthodontic Specialists, we can give you the support you need far beyond that you’ll find at the drugstore!

How to Get Your Child to Wear Their Retainer

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In a perfect world, your child wouldn’t need any help wearing their retainer. After you’ve already shelled out money for the initial treatments (and your child has spent hours sitting in a chair), they’ll recognize the importance and follow a schedule. In reality, life can get in the way pretty quickly. Here, we’ll look at how to keep your kid on a schedule.

Reinforce the Routine

First things first: you’re likely to get a lot of excuses if your child doesn’t wear their retainer, which is why you can’t overlook how well they follow their dental hygiene routine. If they can get in the habit of brushing their teeth consistently, then they can get in the habit of popping in their retainer. Even one disruption or exception can be enough to offset their progress, so you may want to make this a priority in the first couple of weeks.

Add Some Incentives

Later bedtimes, extra screen time, an allowance bonus: an incentive or two can go a long way to helping kids wear their retainer. You can also try reiterating the worst-case scenario: if a child doesn’t wear their retainer after braces, there’s a chance they’ll need to get braces put on their teeth again.

Find the Right Orthodontist

An experienced orthodontist in Parrish will fit your child’s retainer so it’s as comfortable as possible. This can be a major factor in your child’s routine because your child might not realize that their retainer doesn’t have to be a burden to wear — they might just assume that all retainers feel that uncomfortable. At Orthodontic Specialists, we specialize in early orthodontic treatment in Parrish, FL, giving us clearer insight into how to work with kids as they move from one oral stage to the next.

A toddler with light brown hair in a white shirt stands by a crib and sucks their thumb while looking forward.

When, Why, and How to Stop Your Child’s Thumb-Sucking Habit

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Should you allow your child to continue sucking their thumb until they stop naturally? Your optometrist in Parrish, FL, will tell you emphatically, no! You shouldn’t! And here’s why.

Allowing your child to continue sucking their thumb past a certain age could cause lifelong dental and social issues (more about that in a moment).

When to Stop Your Child’s Thumb-Sucking Habit

Babies suck their thumbs as a self-soothing mechanism. It’s natural and normal. Most children wean themselves off thumb-sucking around the age of three. However, if they are still sucking their thumb after the age of four, it could cause long-term dental problems.

Why Stop Your Child’s Thumb-Sucking Habit

Here are just a few of the oral issues your child could develop if they continue sucking their thumb after the age of four.

  • Overbite, open bite
  • Misaligned teeth
  • Speech impediments
  • Social impacts

How to Stop Your Child’s Thumb-Sucking Habit

Your child’s optometrist has what’s called a palatal crib appliance. It’s a semicircle of wires placed behind your child’s front teeth. The palatal crib prevents contact between your child’s thumb and gums. Breaking this contact removes the pleasure sensation a child receives from sucking their thumb.

So, without a pleasant response, your child no longer needs to suck their thumb and no need to continue the thumb-sucking behavior.

The palatal crib is non-invasive and works like a charm. And children don’t seem to mind it. This early orthodontic treatment in Parrish, FL, is the one simple thing that could save you thousands of dollars in dental treatments later.

Needless to say, it’s well worth being proactive when it comes to caring for your child’s dental needs.

Looking for an Optometrist in Parrish, FL?

If you want help stopping your child’s thumb-sucking habit, please Contact Orthodontic Specialists today. Our non-intrusive oral appliances will break that habit in no time, saving you thousands of dollars in dental treatments.

A dentist examines a young girls teeth using a dental mirror and probe while she sits in a dental chair.

How Does Two-Phase Treatment Work?

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Two-phase treatment refers to an orthodontic service that can help children straighten their teeth even before they’re ready for more intensive treatments, like braces or Invisalign. While most people think of kids in their teens wearing these devices, the reality is that orthodontists in Parrish, FL can help kids as young as seven years old get the intervention they need when they’re young.

What Is Two-Phase Treatment?

Two-phase treatment refers to two separate courses of treatment with a break in between. The orthodontist sees the child when they’re young, looks for potential problems with their development, such as damage caused by thumb-sucking, and then maps out the best ways to help the patient. Once the child returns, everyone should be on the same page about how to best move forward.

How Does Two-Phase Treatment Help?

Two-phase treatment in Parrish, FL, makes for a seamless transition between baby and adult teeth. Certain interventions can eliminate the need for braces, extractions, or even oral surgery, whether the child is having trouble swallowing, aligning the jaw, or suffering from overcrowding.

Where to Find Two-Phase Treatment in Parrish

Two-phase treatment is essentially a proactive measure. While it’s not always possible to predict how teeth will develop, these treatments are proven to give orthodontists a head start. There is no guarantee that these treatments will permanently fix your child’s teeth, but the odds are much better that you won’t have to pay for extra services simply because the issues weren’t caught in time.

If you’re interested in two-phase treatment in Parrish, contact Orthodontic Specialists today to learn more about how two-phase treatment will be scheduled for your child and what you can expect from the treatments.