Early Treatment With Invisalign For Kids
Preventive and/or early orthodontic treatment can greatly benefit your child in many ways. It can even save you lots of money in the long run by proactively avoiding later and more severe orthodontic issues. At Koch Orthodontics, we have treated many children: correcting proper jaw development, assisting the eruption of permanent teeth, creating space in overcrowded mouths, mitigating tooth decay, which can lead to later extractions, correcting bite issues, and preventing oral trauma due to the emergence of uneven, crooked teeth.
These repairs often help combat bad habits like thumb sucking and even rectify speech impediments. By paving the way for a perfect smile, we can help boost your child’s self-esteem in childhood, adolescence, and beyond. The confidence that comes with a great smile can be life-changing and priceless. Give us a call or contact us online to schedule an appointment so that we can determine if your child is a good candidate for Invisalign.
Common Signs Of Orthodontic Issues
As a parent, it is not always obvious when your child needs orthodontic treatment. Staying vigilant and scheduling regular checkups are two essential ways to be proactive. These are some frequent orthodontic problems that arise at an early age:
- Crooked, jagged, uneven, or overlapping teeth
- Large gaps between teeth
- Overcrowded teeth
- Prominent overbite or underbite
- Excessive mouth breathing, thumb sucking, or tongue thrusting
- Premature or delayed loss of baby teeth
- Difficulty chewing, biting, or drinking
Is My Child A Candidate For Invisalign?
As a child grows, their smile grows with them. Invisalign First clear aligner treatment is designed for predictable results and a positive experience while addressing the unique needs of growing children. While not every case is a candidate for Invisalign, we find that many of our younger patients make excellent Invisalign candidates!
Developed with the unique needs of teenagers in mind, Invisalign First allows your child’s jaw and smile to continue to develop throughout treatment while ensuring that the teeth are erupting in their correct positions. Compliance indicators on each aligner allow us to monitor whether your child is wearing their aligners for the correct amount of time. This indicator changes from blue to clear the longer you wear the aligners throughout each two-week period.
Captain Koch Kids Club
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that a child’s first orthodontic visit occur at the young age of 7 years old. However, there is no true age limit, and there are benefits to getting your child’s orthodontic needs assessed even earlier. The upsides of early orthodontic treatment are manifold. We can correct jaw growth, bite problems, and space issues to help permanent teeth come in evenly. This will reduce the chances of extractions, braces, retainers, and other orthodontic realignments in the future.
We tend to be conservative with early treatment. This means that orthodontic treatment is rarely administered to children under the age of 12-13 years old. Nevertheless, Dr. Jacob Koch and Dr. Kelsey Gass would both love to regularly monitor the growth and development of your child’s jaw and teeth. Sometimes, if detected at an early age, major orthodontic setbacks can be circumvented simply by performing a basic task, such as removing a baby tooth prematurely.
This is why we actively recommend our Captain Koch Kids Club to anyone 7 years and up. Absolutely free of charge for all members, we will observe and track the development of your child’s orthodontic situation to better diagnose and apply treatment when the time is right. The biggest advantage for many clients who join our Captain Koch Kids Club is the positive example that regular check-ups provide. By staying updated and interested in oral hygiene, we influence our Kids Club members to consistently take care of their teeth so that issues do not arise in the future.