Pediatric Orthodontics in Austin & Georgetown, TX

A pediatric orthodontist is a dental specialist who focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental and facial alignment irregularities in children, teens, and young adults. They use a variety of treatments to correct malocclusion, the misalignment of teeth, and jaws. Pediatric orthodontics care may include braces, retainers, headgear, or other orthodontic appliances.

The first stage begins around age seven. At this point, children still have their primary teeth, the teeth before your permanent teeth come out. Early intervention may include preventative, interception, or modified orthodontic care. A preventative measure like an oral appliance might be used to correct an existing issue or to guide proper bone growth.

Benefits of an Early Orthodontic Treatment

Early evaluation and treatment of oral health issues can lead to earlier detection and a better chance of addressing problems like crooked teeth or tooth decay. Proactive orthodontic care is key to maintaining healthy teeth, monitoring the growth and development of a child’s teeth, and warding off greater issues in the future. Some of these issues include:

• Crowding of Teeth: Crowding of teeth is a condition where the teeth are too close together, making it difficult for your child to brush effectively. This can lead to an increased risk of gum disease and other oral health problems, such as tooth decay. Additionally, crowding of teeth can cause pain and discomfort when chewing, speaking, or smiling.
• Spacing of Teeth: Spacing of teeth, also known as diastema, is a condition where there is a gap between two or more teeth. This may be caused by missing teeth, or by the teeth being too far apart. The spacing of teeth can make it difficult for the patient to brush and floss effectively, resulting in an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
• Open Bites: Open bites are a condition where the front teeth do not touch when the mouth is closed. This can be caused by thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or incorrect swallowing. Open bites can make it difficult for the patient to bite and chew properly, and can lead to other oral health problems, such as TMJ pain and difficulty speaking.
• Overjet: Overjet is a condition where the upper teeth extend out further than the lower teeth. This is often caused by a misaligned jaw and can make it difficult for the patient to bite and chew properly. Overjet can also lead to other oral health problems, such as TMJ pain and difficulty speaking.

Optimal Time for Orthodontic Screening

When a child reaches the age of 7, their permanent molars start to erupt. At this point, Dr. Bernuy can assess how the teeth fit together, like if the incisors are causing overcrowding, overbite, open bite, or a gummy smile. Regular checkups can help detect and prevent orthodontic issues.

It’s essential to examine a child’s new molars as soon as they come in. If any problems with the bite are noticed, Dr. Bernuy can suggest early treatment plans to avert orthodontic problems in the future. Early intervention can even avoid the need for extensive orthodontic treatment. Moreover, it can rectify jaw misalignments, reduce the risk of tooth decay or gum disease, and ensure the child has a beautiful, healthy smile for many years.

Benefits of Seeing a Pediatric Orthodontist

• Pediatric orthodontics offers many benefits for children and adolescents, including:
  1. Correcting jaw growth for optimal facial symmetry:

  Pediatric orthodontic treatment can guide the growth of the jaws to correct bite problems and improve facial symmetry, which is especially important in children whose facial structures are still developing.

  2. Reducing the risk of dental injuries:

  Children are often active and engaged in physical activities, which increases their risk of dental injuries. Pediatric orthodontic treatment can help to reposition protruding teeth and reduce the risk of tooth damage or loss during accidents.

  3. Creating space for erupting teeth:

  Pediatric orthodontics can help to create space for incoming permanent teeth to erupt in their proper positions, preventing impaction and other complications that can arise from crowded teeth.

  4. Preserving space for developing teeth:

  When a baby tooth is lost prematurely, pediatric orthodontic treatment can help to preserve the space and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting, which can lead to crowding and other dental problems.

  5. Minimizing the need for tooth extractions:

  Pediatric orthodontic treatment can correct alignment problems early on, which can reduce the likelihood of future tooth extractions and the need for more invasive dental procedures.

  6. Shortening overall treatment time:

  Pediatric orthodontics utilizes advanced techniques and technologies that can help to shorten the overall treatment time, reducing the amount of time children need to wear braces or aligners and minimizing disruption to their daily lives.

Since every child is different, early treatments vary by case and severity of the condition. At Bernuy Orthodontic Specialists, Dr. Bernuy may use one or more of the following dental appliances:

• MyoBrace
• Rapid Palatal Expander
• Space Maintainer
• Tongue Crib
• Upper Braces

The goal of early dental care is to assist in your child’s oral health and development. Although the need for future orthodontic dentistry may not be eliminated, having early treatment can reduce the extent of orthodontic care and the length of time needed to make corrections. Contact our dental office in Austin or Georgetown for more information, or book your appointment with us today!