Does Your Child Need Braces? Here Are Some Warning Signs

As a parent, it’s normal to compare your child’s development to their peers. And if you have a pre-teen or a teenager, you may start to see more and more of your child’s peers starting to get braces. This, of course, makes every parent question if their child needs braces.

If left untreated, child orthodontic problems can cause plenty of problems to your child’s oral health. So to make sure your child can put their best smile on display, our orthodontist Reston VA office has compiled some signs that they may need braces in the near future.

Eating Problems
A tell-tale sign that your child needs braces is if they are having problems chewing. This can signify that there are problems either with the jaw or that the teeth aren’t meeting properly. Braces can easily fix these issues because the orthodontist not only will straighten out your child’s teeth, they will be able to set the jaw into the proper place.

Sleep issues
Sleep apnea is a disorder that typically affects adults, but it can happen with children due to improper placement of teeth. Crowded teeth and jaw problems can easily inhibit your child’s airflow, so if you are noticing consistent problems with sleep or loud snoring, our orthodontists may be able to help.

Speech Struggles
The most common speech issue our orthodontists have seen when it comes to needing braces is a lisp. A lisp may be able to be fixed with the addition of braces, as this can commonly mean the teeth aren’t meeting properly in the center of the child’s mouth. And considering that one in five Americans doesn’t have an ideal bite, this is common.

Accelerated Loss of Baby Teeth
If your child is losing all of their baby teeth at seemingly one time, chances are they could benefit from visiting our office. This could be a sign that there is not enough room in their mouth for their teeth, or that there is a severe crowding problem and braces are needed to straighten things out.

If you are noticing any or all of these red flags, make sure to bring your child into our office today for a consultation. Doing so will prevent any oral health issues for your child down the line.

There is nothing more beautiful than your child’s smile. For help bringing your child’s smile back to life, contact the orthodontist Reston VA trusts.