Content Sources:
1. Chinese Society of Orthodontics. (2018). Basic and Clinical Research in Orthodontics. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House.
2. Zhang Jianguo, & Liu Yang. (2016). Analysis of the effect of orthodontics on improving chewing efficiency and oral health. Modern Medicine and Health, 32(12), 1801-1803.
3. Li Xiaohong. (2015). Effect of orthodontics in improving speech problems in children. Chinese Journal of Oral Science Research, 9(4), 234-237.
15-year-old junior high school student Xiao Jia's teeth are heartbroken to his parents, I don't know why they look crooked, since the baby teeth have been replaced, it has become like this, at first the family felt that he was too young to act rashly, but watching the child increasingly inferior because of dental problems, he finally decided to take the child to the dentist.
After coming to the clinic, after the doctor examined Xiaojia's dental condition, the first thing he said was, why didn't you bring the child for correction earlier?
Many parents do not have a concept of orthodontics, believing that poor tooth growth will affect the aesthetics at most and will not pose a threat to health, so they will also be unconsciously negligent in the problem of orthodontics. But in fact, timely orthodontic treatment can bring many health implications.
First of all, orthodontics can significantly improve chewing efficiency. Misaligned teeth or abnormal bite not only affect appearance but also interfere with normal chewing function. Teeth are the first step in the food digestion process, and the subsequent digestion process can only go smoothly when the teeth are able to chew the food effectively.
Crooked teeth can lead to inefficient chewing, food cannot be ground sufficiently, and it can burden the gastrointestinal tract and may cause digestive disorders over time. Through orthodontics, the teeth can be arranged in an orderly manner and normal chewing function can be restored, thereby optimizing the work of the digestive system and ensuring good health.
Secondly, getting orthodontics can reduce the risk of oral diseases. Irregular teeth tend to accumulate food debris and bacteria, increasing the incidence of periodontal disease and tooth decay. Periodontal disease not only causes loose and lost teeth, but can also cause or aggravate other systemic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, etc.
Tooth decay, on the other hand, destroys the tooth structure, causing pain, infection and even tooth loss. With orthodontics, teeth are aligned more neatly and are easier to clean, reducing the risk of developing these oral diseases.
At the same time, orthodontics can help improve voice problems. Incorrect tooth placement can affect pronunciation, especially sounds such as "s" and "z", which may lead to slurred speech. Slurred speech can affect an individual's self-confidence and social interactions, especially during the critical period of growth of children and adolescents.
With orthodontics, the bite and tooth alignment can be corrected, so that the tongue can correctly touch the teeth and other parts of the mouth when pronouncing, thereby improving pronunciation problems and improving the ability to express language. This is also crucial for a child's development.
Children's dental problems need timely intervention, orthodontics is not only to let children have a beautiful smile, it is more about the health and function of the oral cavity. Therefore, it is important to determine the best age for children to have orthodontics.
To put it simply, orthodontics is the use of orthodontic instruments, such as braces, correctors, etc., to exert continuous and steady pressure on the teeth to move the teeth to the intended position to correct problems such as alignment, malocclusion, etc. The growth rate and plasticity of teeth and jaws are different at different ages, which determines the efficiency and effect of orthodontics at different ages.
For children, the best time for orthodontics is not a specific age point, but an age range. The best timing of orthodontics needs to take into account the child's growth and development, and there are two main stages: mixed dentition and permanent dentition.
1. Mixed dentition: This stage starts from about 6 years old and lasts until about 12 years old, which is the stage when children gradually transition from baby teeth to permanent teeth. At this stage, the child's teeth and jaws are in a stage of rapid growth, with good plasticity and room for adjustment. For some children with misaligned teeth and mild occlusal problems, initial correction can be carried out at this stage to guide the correct eruption of permanent teeth and reduce the difficulty of correcting in the future.
2. Permanent dentition: This stage generally begins around the age of 12, when most of the child's permanent teeth have erupted and the growth of teeth and jaws slows down. At this stage, correction is mainly carried out to make fine adjustments to the alignment of permanent teeth and occlusal problems. Although the growth rate of teeth and jaws at this stage is slowed down and plasticity is reduced, taking advantage of the fact that the permanent teeth have fully erupted allows for more accurate development and implementation of orthodontic treatment plans.
Ideally, the best time to start orthodontic treatment in children is between the middle and late stages of the mixed dentition stage to the early stages of permanent dentition, between about 7 and 14 years of age. During this period, on the one hand, the potential of children's jaw growth can be exploited to reduce the occurrence of crowded teeth through early intervention;
On the other hand, it is possible to make better use of the timing of the eruption of permanent teeth for effective correction. It should be emphasized that this time frame is not fixed, and the specific timing of correction needs to be determined according to the individual differences of the child, the need for orthodontic treatment and the development of teeth.
When deciding whether or not your child needs orthodontic treatment and choosing the best time for orthodontics, parents should take their child to a regular dental hospital or dental clinic for a detailed oral examination and evaluation. A professional dentist will develop a personalized treatment plan based on the child's age, the development of teeth and jaws, and the goals of orthodontics and the problems that need to be addressed.
In conclusion, the best age for orthodontics in children should be between the mixed dentition stage and the early permanent dentition stage, i.e. between about 7 and 14 years of age. However, this does not mean that correction cannot be carried out beyond this age range, and every child's situation is different.
The most important thing is to choose the most suitable time for your child's correction according to the advice of a medical professional. Orthodontics is not only a cosmetic issue, but more importantly, it affects the oral health and quality of life of the child. Therefore, choosing an appropriate correction time is of immeasurable significance to the long-term development of children.