It is sad to see a child with malformed teeth that distort their appearance and their self-esteem. The condition makes it difficult to eat and to talk. Over the years, the situation can get worse. The person’s mouth can become severely distorted to the point where it looks bad. Orthodontics is the answer for the problem of correcting the teeth and the jaw line. When the jaw is misaligned this can put a strain on the jaw muscles causing joint problems and headaches in some cases. The pediatric dentist at a Dentist Office in Pequannock is involved in assessing the patient’s mouth and usually is the one to make a referral to an orthodontist.
Orthodontic treatment is required when the mouth has too many teeth as well as when they are crooked or misaligned. The orthodontist will need to pull certain teeth if the mouth has too many teeth so that the remaining teeth can be brought into alignment.
There are conditions of the jaw, the joint and the teeth which can be a problem in a child and worse in an adult. In an adult, these problems prevent socialization and development of personal relationships. They will prevent the adult from getting a good job. In each of these conditions there are solutions if the problems are treated when the child is young.
There are a variety of orthodontic appliances that can be used at various stages of treatment and for various conditions. Of course, braces are the best known, and they do work effectively when the follow-up treatment is conducted by a Dentist Office in Pequannock.
Simple treatment can be carried out by a removable plate with some wires, and this device can be taken out and cleaned. Braces are also a common method of treatment. Braces can be installed as soon as all of the teeth are in. Often, the jaw is seriously misaligned and functional appliances are needed which use the power of the jaw muscles to fix problems with the jaw alignment. There are many kinds of orthodontic appliances that can be used, and there is one for every condition. The head gear is a device that is only worn at night, but if it is not worn as directed the teeth will stick straight out in adulthood.