If your child has already developed most or all of their permanent teeth, and they are not correctly aligned, they may need braces. Your child may also need braces if they have overly spaced out teeth, have problems chewing or speaking, or are experiencing jaw or mouth pain. These are some of the indicators that your child needs orthodontic treatment. However, you must have their teeth examined by a skilled dentist for diagnosis and treatment recommendations. If they need braces, your dentist will explain the treatment process and outline how it will resolve the underlying issues with their teeth.

If you do not know what to look out for, here are some signs that indicate that your child may need braces:

If Their Teeth Overlap

A child’s teeth overlap when the upper teeth and lower teeth do not match perfectly when they bite down. The front upper teeth may overlap the front lower teeth, or vice versa. Naturally, the upper and lower teeth must come together perfectly when you bite down. Overlapping teeth affect a child’s speech and chewing and can create difficulties when they brush or floss. Additionally, it affects their smile and confidence. This should be a good enough reason for your child to be examined by a skilled dentist.

If left untreated, overlapping teeth can create oral hygiene challenges for your child, increasing their risk of cavities and gum disease. Your child can also experience malocclusion or bite issues, which result in severe disorders like TMDs. Overlapping may also cause uneven tooth wear, increasing your child's risk of tooth loss. There are aesthetic concerns, too, whereby the child becomes self-conscious about their crooked smile.

Fortunately, braces can align your child’s teeth to restore their confidence and make oral hygiene habits easy.

If Their Top Or Lower Teeth Protrude

As your child’s teeth develop, you may notice that some of their teeth protrude more than the others. Naturally, all teeth should be properly aligned. If some teeth protrude more than the others, this is an issue that could worsen as your child grows. The issue, also called overjet, could also put them at risk of serious dental issues, like bite problems and TMJ disorders. Your child’s protruding teeth are also at risk of trauma if they fall or suffer a blow to the face.

If your child has an obvious overjet, you can have it corrected with braces. Traditional metal braces are highly effective at gradually aligning misaligned teeth to create a harmonious smile when a child bites down. Braces work over a period to push natural teeth to their rightful positions in the mouth.

Children as young as eight can wear braces, which is early enough to prevent an overjet from significantly affecting their oral health, self-esteem, and overall health.

If Their Teeth Are Crowded

Your child’s teeth are crowded if they appear as if they have more teeth than their mouth can accommodate. Some teeth may appear to overlap, or there may be no space between them. This is not just an aesthetic issue, but a problem that increases a child’s risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and plaque buildup. Crowded teeth are difficult to keep clean. A child is unable to reach all parts of their teeth when brushing. Flossing becomes difficult because there are zero or minimal spaces between the teeth for proper flossing.

Braces can align crowded teeth by guiding them into their rightful positions in the mouth. This way, your child’s teeth will appear even and easy to clean and floss. Braces align teeth over time, so your child can start enjoying improved aesthetics and better tooth function once treatment begins.

If Your Child’s Teeth are Overly Spaced

Excessive spacing between your child’s teeth should be a cause for concern. Natural teeth should have minimal space between them that looks and feels natural. If the spaces between your child’s teeth are noticeable, there could be a problem.

Excessive gaps in teeth affect your child’s smile. It could make your child self-conscious from an early age, which may affect their confidence and self-esteem as they grow.

Excessive gaps in teeth also put your child at risk of gum disease and cavities. The gaps trap more food, encouraging the growth of harmful bacteria. Since children are still learning how to care for their teeth, trapped food can quickly lead to buildup, which can cause cavities and gum disease.

There is also the risk of your child’s teeth shifting from their proper position to cover the excessive gaps, causing an uneven smile and bite problems. However, braces can create an evenness on your child’s teeth, improving their appearance and reducing the risk of serious dental problems.

If you choose metal braces for your child, brackets or small squares will be glued to every tooth. These act as handles for the archwire. The archwire is flexible enough to move the teeth to their proper positions. There are also ligatures, or elastics, that hold the archwire to the brackets, and rubber bands that apply extra force to the teeth to correct bite problems. Your dentist will explain how each component works to prepare you for what to expect.

If Your Child Has a Malocclusion or Bite Problem

A bite problem is a mismatch or misalignment between the upper and lower teeth when a child bites down. A perfect bite happens when their upper and lower teeth fit together perfectly when their jaw closes. Some children have minor bite problems, while others have mild to severe malocclusion. Even a minor bite issue can affect your child’s speech, confidence, digestion, and oral hygiene.

There are several bite problems that you should look out for as a parent:

  • An overbite or deep bite, whereby the upper front teeth overlap the lower teeth

  • An underbite, whereby the lower teeth protrude over the upper teeth

  • A cross bite, whereby the upper teeth sit inside the lower ones

  • An open bite whereby there is a space between the upper teeth and lower teeth when you close the back teeth

Malocclusion affects a child’s smile and confidence. It also puts a strain on the jaw when the child chews or speaks. This may cause pain in the jaw or mouth, which puts them at risk of TMJ disorders. Some bite problems affect a child’s ability to maintain clean teeth and gums. This puts them at risk of cavities and gum disease.

When There Is Jaw Discomfort

Your child may experience jaw discomfort due to a TMJ disorder or misaligned teeth. A TMJ disorder occurs when the jaw is strained while a child speaks, eats, yawns, or performs other mouth-related activities. In most cases, it happens when their teeth are misaligned or crooked, and they experience difficulty speaking, biting, or chewing. Your child can experience pain when chewing, limited jaw movement, or clicking sounds when yawning or simply opening their mouth.

Braces can resolve jaw discomfort by aligning the child’s teeth. They can correct your child’s tooth position, resolving issues like lisps and reducing pain from misaligned jaws. However, your child must undergo examination by a competent dentist to determine their eligibility for braces. Then, your dentist will explain the different types of braces that can benefit your child.

The traditional metal braces are very common for children. They are easy to maintain and are affordable. However, there are several other options, including clear aligners, lingual braces, and gold braces. You can choose the most suitable ones for your child according to your preferences and budget.

If The Child Had Persistent Habits

If your child habitually sucked their thumb or overused a pacifier, their teeth alignment will likely be affected. This can be seen as your child grows, especially once their permanent teeth have fully developed. Changes in their teeth’s appearance will affect their smile and confidence, and could also affect their teeth’s functionality, depending on how severe they are. However, braces can correct these problems, so that your child can enjoy properly aligned teeth for the rest of their lives.

Braces apply gentle, gradual pressure to the teeth to restore them to their rightful positions. They align your teeth through bone remodelling, so that the changes in your teeth’s structure will be permanent or long-lasting. The regular adjustments happen over time so that you can notice minor improvements in your child’s teeth throughout the treatment period. However, you must wear braces for the recommended period for excellent results.

If They Have Breathing Problems

Breathing problems in children can be caused by dental, skeletal, or structural issues that obstruct the airway, leading to snoring or continuous mouth breathing. Sometimes, medical experts recommend orthodontic appliances, such as braces, to fix those problems by aligning the teeth and improving jaw positioning. If your child has breathing issues, allow a medical expert to examine them. If the issue is dental-related, a skilled dentist may recommend braces so your child no longer breathes through their mouth but through their nose, as they should.

Braces can correct misaligned teeth and bite issues that could be causing your child’s breathing problems. Then, your child can enjoy better sleep quality. Depending on the type of braces you choose, your child can wear them for six to twenty-four months. The exact treatment time will depend on the severity of your child’s orthodontic issue, their age, and the type of braces you choose. Younger children can wear braces for shorter periods because their jaws are still developing. Clear aligners also work faster than metal braces when worn consistently, as recommended.

If They Experience Problems Chewing or Biting

Not all orthodontic issues are noticeable. Some children have what appear to be perfectly aligned teeth but still experience bite problems. If your child cannot bite or chew properly, there could be a problem with their tooth alignment that requires immediate treatment. Such a problem may affect a child’s nutrition, especially if the child cannot eat some foods. Additionally, it may cause digestive issues if a child swallows undigested food. Timely orthodontic treatment will improve the functionality of their teeth.

Start by booking an appointment with your dentist for examinations and treatment recommendations. When a skilled dentist examines your child’s teeth, they will know the cause of the chewing or biting problem the child is experiencing. Then, they will explain your treatment options and give a recommendation, based on your preferences, the child’s treatment needs, and your budget. Braces are very effective in aligning teeth for a perfect bite and chewing.

If Your Child Has Speech Problems

The appearance of your child’s teeth may affect how they pronounce certain words. This can affect a child’s learning and social abilities. However, orthodontic appliances like braces can address speech issues by correcting dental structural problems that affect a child’s pronunciation, including gaps, overbites, underbites, and overcrowding.

Braces can improve teeth alignment, providing your child’s tongue with enough space to form sounds. Braces can reduce lisps, which happen when air escapes incorrectly when a child’s front teeth are misaligned. Braces can also correct jaw misalignment to promote harmonious movement of the tongue, jaw, and lips, which helps with slurred or muffled speech.

However, you must choose the right dentist for your child’s orthodontic treatment. An experienced orthodontist who has placed braces on children can guarantee effective services.

Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me

If your child needs braces, you need a skilled dentist for proper examination, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. The dentist will also treat your child, and make follow-ups to ensure that your child’s treatment is progressing as it should. However, you must identify the signs to know when to seek the help of a dentist for your child’s braces.

At Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry, we offer comprehensive dental care services for the entire family. If your child’s dental or oral health is at risk because of an orthodontic issue, we can recommend and provide braces if they are a suitable candidate. We provide all the information you need to understand how the treatment works, its benefits, and its risk factors, to support informed decision-making. Call us at 310-361-2080 for more information.