Pedodontic Orthodontics

Pediatric Orthodontics

One of the most desired things for us parents is to see a big, warm smile on our child's face. However, maintaining this smile healthy and bright throughout life is necessary. For this, a good follow-up is required from a team consisting of the patient, the patient's family, the family dentist, orthodontist, and other dental specialists.

Your dentist examines your child early on to see how the teeth and jaws are developing and to inform you about any changes that may occur as your child grows. Therefore, we recommend regular dental check-ups for your child.

Orthodontic treatments during childhood, up to the age of 18, can be examined in two stages:

1. Preventive Orthodontic Treatment

Your child's first orthodontic examination should be at the age of 4-5. The purpose of this initial examination is to:

- Detect jaw-related disorders in children and intervene early.

- Treat incorrect functions that may cause jaw problems in the future, such as incorrect swallowing and mouth breathing.

- Eliminate the possibility of reverse forces on the teeth.

If your child breathes through their mouth and keeps their lips open, the orthodontist and otolaryngologist must work together to correct these disorders and functions. These treatments involve a combination of different breathing and muscle exercises and appliances that children of this age can wear.

If you notice a problem with your child, even at the age of 4-5, you should take them to an orthodontist.

Because when detected early, it is easier to solve some orthodontic problems, and it is possible to prevent jaw problems caused by mouth breathing.

Orthodontic treatments during this period are called "preventive orthodontic treatment."

Even if your child's teeth look straight, there may be some problems that you cannot notice but only the orthodontist can determine. Sometimes, what you perceive as a problem may be completely normal and a condition that will correct itself over time.

Not every problem you observe in your child's teeth may require treatment!

For example, around the ages of 7-8, the upper front teeth are in the mouth. These teeth may seem too big to you after the baby teeth, but they will start to look more normal to you as they begin to appear in the mouth along with the other teeth and as the face grows.

The four front lower incisors may be slightly crooked between the ages of 7-8. Parents often worry about this situation and apply to our clinic for treatment.

There is no need to worry because the slight misalignment seen in the lower front region is physiological, and after a complex series of events, these teeth will correct around the age of 12.

Even if some problems are observed in the teeth of your child during an orthodontic examination between the ages of 7-9, your orthodontist may not recommend urgent treatment. In this case, your doctor may adopt a "wait and see" approach and say that the treatment will start around the age of 12.

To achieve the best result, your orthodontist will determine the most appropriate time for you.

Sometimes, children may have bad habits inherited from infancy, such as incorrect swallowing or mouth breathing, sucking fingers, pens, or thumb. Interventions made to eliminate these bad habits are called preventive treatment.