When your child reaches age seven—or possibly even earlier—your pediatric dentist can determine your child’s orthodontic future. Bring your child into our office to see Dr. Field for a developmental evaluation.
Developmental evaluations, also known as orthodontic evaluations, can tell your dentist if your child’s smile or bite has any developmental issues that could require orthodontic correction in the future.
What We Look for in Orthodontic Evaluations
Problems that can commonly lead to the need for orthodontic treatment include:
- Crowding
- Premature tooth loss
- Cross bites
- Overbites
- Underbites
- Abnormal wear of enamel
These and similar problems could cause TMJ (jaw joint) pain, loss of gum tissue and jawbone mass, headaches, and tooth loss if the issues remain untreated. Of course, problems like these could also mean a crooked smile that could undermine your child’s confidence.
Early Detection and Next Steps
The earlier these problems are detected, the less likely your child will have to suffer through more serious health difficulties. A developmental evaluation will help you stay on top of your child’s dental health and his or her dental aesthetic needs.
After the developmental evaluation, Dr. Field can help you determine the next step in your child’s treatment. Orthodontics may be your next move, but careful and frequent examinations may be the better course of action, depending on the circumstances.
Evaluations don’t always translate to immediate orthodontics, but they will promote your child’s best smile. Each evaluation will help you, your child, and us to preserve your child’s smile in the most efficient way possible.
Make an Appointment for an Orthodontic Evaluation
You should bring your child in for his or her first orthodontic evaluation no later than the age of seven. That way, we can start to guide the progress of his or her dental development on time.
We firmly believe that your child will enjoy the undivided attention of Dr. Field and our professional team here in our comfortable and fun-filled office. Call Shoreline Pediatric Dentistry today to set up an appointment. Smile on!