Does your child’s smile include gaps and misalignment? If so, you are probably thinking that orthodontics in Brookline MA might be needed at some point. Orthodontic treatment provides the ability to create a functional, healthy bite with correct jaw position and tooth alignment.
Braces and other orthodontic treatments encourage excellent oral health and overall physical health while creating an attractive smile as a bonus.
The Difference Between Permanent Teeth and Baby Teeth
Unless you’ve compared a child’s baby teeth to your adult teeth, you might be surprised to learn that you have a different number of teeth. Baby teeth are fewer in number, smaller, and they only exist for a few years. Adult teeth are stronger, larger in size, and will endure for many decades with proper care.
Baby Teeth: Due to the fact that baby teeth will eventually fall out, many patients are under the misconception that they are not important. Sticking to healthy oral habits at a young age is vital in creating the foundation of a healthy adult smile. A child has 20 total baby teeth.
Permanent Teeth: One of the important functions of baby teeth is to push the permanent adult teeth to erupt in their correct positions. On the other hand, baby teeth act as spacers until the permanent teeth are ready to erupt by holding the space in the jaws required for the proper development of the permanent teeth.
Under healthy, accident-free conditions, a baby tooth will typically remain in your child’s mouth until the permanent tooth beneath it is almost through the gum surface. The roots of the baby tooth crumble when a permanent tooth is ready to break through the skin, allowing it to become loose and fall out. As baby teeth begin to fall out, they are slowly replaced with 32 permanent teeth.
Orthodontics in Brookline MA: When To Expect Permanent Teeth
Primary teeth are usually entirely out by the age of three, just in time for a child’s facial bones and jaw to grow. Around the age of 6, a child’s jaw is large enough to house permanent teeth, and as a result, baby teeth begin to fall out.
Most children will have 28 permanent teeth by the time they reach the age of 13. The remaining teeth, which are four wisdom teeth, will appear between ages 17 and 21.
Orthodontics in Brookline MA: When To Seek Treatment
Your child should have an orthodontic evaluation by the time they reach the age of 7. The best time for your child to get braces is dependent on the cause and severity of any misalignment.
Traditional orthodontics in Brookline MA typically begins when a child has lost most of his or her baby teeth, and most of the adult teeth have already grown in. If treatment is required during the ages of 8 through 14, preventative care can use your child’s growth development to guide the intended result.
If your child is older than 7, it’s not too late for orthodontics in Brookline MA. Contact our office today to schedule a checkup and evaluation and we’ll take it from there!
