As a general rule, it’s a good idea to be proactive when it comes to solving issues in life. This completely applies to the field of orthodontics, as well. Today, our team at Kottemann Orthodontics will tell you exactly why early orthodontic intervention is important.
Benefits of Early Orthodontic Intervention
As we said, part of why this is recommended is simply to get a headstart on oral health as kids grow up. But there are many other positive reasons for early treatment with our expert team of doctors:
- Preventing More Complex Issues: First and foremost, early intervention helps to ensure orthodontic issues don’t worsen. For example, by correcting a minor alignment issue in a young patient, we can prevent the need for more extensive and expensive treatments later in life. Avoiding invasive options like extractions and surgery is always a priority.
- Shorter Treatment Time: Usually, treatments used in early intervention often are attributed to shorter treatment times. By treating problems like overcrowding or misaligned bites, it can make later treatments even simpler and quicker. This also reduces overall cost.
- Preserving Natural Teeth: Early treatment is a great way to help preserve natural teeth. By helping with severe alignment issues early on, wear and tear on teeth is reduced. This helps prevent the need for more costly restorative procedures.
- Minimizing the Need for Future Treatments: Braces or other corrective devices as teenagers may no longer be necessary with this initial action. And even if they are, they’ll likely be less complex and easier to manage.
- Avoiding Dental Complications: One issue with misaligned teeth are dental complications like cavities, gum disease, or even tooth loss—all of which can be quite expensive to treat. This is due to the fact that cleaning crooked teeth effectively can be a challenge for patients. If we can ensure teeth are properly aligned early, it will make them easier to clean and reduce the risk of these problems in the future.
- Customized Growth Guidance: Another key factor of early orthodontic treatment is related to oral anatomy at this age. We can actually guide the growth of a child’s jaw and permanent teeth when they’re young to create a strong foundation and help avoid the need for additional interventions down the road.
- Insurance and Payment Plans: Our office offers payment plans and accepts insurance, and we work extremely hard to ensure that treatment is financially manageable for our patients. We also offer a tool on our website to help you calculate the cost of treatment ahead of time.
- Cost of Neglect: The longer that orthodontic issues are left unaddressed in patients, the more costly and complex they can become. Having a proactive approach saves money by addressing issues before they escalate.
The Social Benefits
School and friends are a massive element of a child’s life. With the school season starting back up, we wanted to highlight how this aspect can be impacted by early orthodontic treatment in a positive way.
- Boosted Self-Esteem: Orthodontic treatment often leads to increased self-esteem at all ages, but this can be especially impactful for kids. This can enhance their sense of confidence during crucial developmental years.
- Positive School Experience: Teasing or bullying related to dental appearance is unacceptable but is sadly a common concern for many children with visible orthodontic issues. Kottemann Orthodontics wants to help ensure their school experience is positive and free from this type of bullying.
- Improved Social Interactions: When children love their smile, they’re more likely to engage with others. This openness can lead to improved social interactions and help them build lasting friendships more easily.
- Better Communication: A portion of orthodontic issues impact speech. We use early treatment to effectively correct these problems. More effective communication can help with both social interactions and academic performance that involves speaking.
- Encouragement of Good Oral Hygiene: Early orthodontic treatment often means a much more active dental care routine, which can become a lifelong habit.
- Less Anxiety About Dental Visits: One last benefit of starting orthodontic treatment early is that it allows kids to become acclimated with our lovely office settings, which are tailored to feel comforting and welcoming. Having reduced anxiety as children leads to more positive experiences with oral health professionals, which can mean a better attitude toward oral care and health in general.
A Successful Start
We hope this blog has reaffirmed why we talk so often about early orthodontics at Kottemann Orthodontics. When it’s possible, it’s such a wonderful asset to our young patients as they enter adolescence and eventually adulthood. We can’t wait to get to know you. Come visit us in Chaska, Maple Grove, Orono, or Plymouth.