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Children’s smiles bring the greatest happiness in the life of any parent. But many times, as soon as children’s milk teeth start falling out and new permanent teeth come in, instead of coming straight, they start coming out crookedly, back and forth or climbing over each other. In the language of dentistry it is called ‘malocclusion’. Often parents ignore it thinking that the teeth will straighten on their own with increasing age, but this negligence can later badly affect the child’s facial structure, his way of speaking and his self-confidence. If any child in your house is facing such a problem, then you should immediately become alert and start paying attention to some very important things and precautions.

Why do children’s teeth emerge crooked? Know the main reasons for this.

There are many physical and practical reasons responsible for crooked teeth in children. The first and common reason is heredity (genetics), that is, if parents or someone in the family has such teeth, then the risk of it increases in children too. Apart from this, sometimes the jaw size of children is small, due to which the new and big teeth do not get enough space to emerge straight. Another big reason are some habits of children, like sucking the thumb for a long time, breathing through the mouth, continuously biting the lips or drinking milk from a bottle for too long. These habits put undue pressure on the growing jaw bones and gums, causing the alignment of teeth to completely deteriorate.

Negligence in taking care of milk teeth is also a major reason

Parents often think that milk teeth are bound to fall out one day, so they do not pay much attention to their decay or cavity. According to dentists, this is a big mistake. If a milk tooth falls prematurely due to decay or has to be removed, the teeth around it shift out of their place to fill the empty space. In such a situation, when the time comes for the real and permanent tooth to emerge at that place, it does not find its right place and it is forced to emerge crookedly from the front or back. Therefore, cleaning and care of children’s primary teeth is as important as that of adults’ teeth.

If the child’s teeth are crooked, then parents should immediately take care of these things.

To avoid this problem or to cure it in time, the first step should be that as soon as the child reaches the age of 7 years, take him to a good orthodontist (specialist in straightening teeth). At an early age, the bones of children are flexible, so at this time it is very easy to direct the growth of the jaw and bring the teeth into the right shape. Apart from this, if the child has the habit of sucking thumb or breathing through mouth, then wean him immediately by explaining it lovingly or by using ‘Habit Breaking Appliance’ as per doctor’s advice. Make it a habit for children to brush twice daily, in the morning and before sleeping, so that the gums remain strong.

What is its correct treatment and at what age is the best result obtained?

In today’s modern medical science, there are many excellent and painless options to completely correct crooked teeth. The most traditional and effective method is ‘dental braces’ (wires), which come in both metal and ceramic variants. Apart from this, nowadays the trend of ‘clear aligners’ or invisible braces has also increased, which are transparent and cannot be seen at all. According to dentists, the age of 10 to 14 years is considered to be the best (golden period) for these treatments because at this age the teeth come into their correct position very fast and properly, due to which the child gets a beautiful and attractive smile forever.