5 Signs You Need To See An Orthodontist

Most people hide their happiness or beautiful smile because they’re conscious of how their teeth look. Some even resist smiling to avoid showing off their teeth. While this may seem unimportant, one should prioritize this because a smile can help a person socialize, get a job, and others. Besides making your smile beautiful, here are other signs that you need to see an orthodontist:

1. At The Age Of Seven

As early as seven years old, you should take your child to an orthodontist near you such as the Mundaring Dental Centre and others when you’re in Mundaring, WA. The signs that they need an ortho may not be noticeable at times, so going to an ortho can help even without the obvious signs. The ortho can determine if they have jaw or bite problems only visible to a professional’s eyes. 

During the check-up, the child will undergo x-rays of the teeth, jaw bones, and skull, which is considered a comprehensive exam. These exams will help identify issues like a misaligned bite, teeth that can’t position well, and jaw size. The earlier you spot these problems, the better because your kid can receive the treatment necessary to prevent such issues from aggravating. 

There are also obvious signs that may require your child to see an orthodontist. These include when their teeth are crowded or spaced too far or have trouble chewing food. Such issues may require a two-phase treatment to prevent jaw and bite problems from worsening.

2. Bite Issues

Bite issues aren’t only occurring in kids, but they’re also common in adults. From crossbite to open bite, underbite to overbite, these types of bite problems can impact your face. Besides that, bite issues also have an adverse effect on physical issues like speech, headaches, clenching, and grinding. 

For instance, an unfixed crossbite may cause severe damage to the jaws, arthritis, and pain. This type of bit issue can be genetic and causes misaligned teeth in the lower jaw since the upper jaw is narrow. 

Another type of bite issue that may not bring pain affects how you look in the open bite. The sides of your teeth or their front will have a gap. You can notice this if there’s a space between the rows of your teeth when you close your mouth. 

Meanwhile, if your lower teeth are resting in front of your upper teeth, this could be an underbite. Since it’s an animal’s distinct facial feature, this issue is often called a bulldog look. 

The last type is the overbite, in which when the mouth is closed, the upper front teeth stick out over the lower teeth. Thus, this is known as the buck teeth. 

You can fix all of these bite issues by visiting an orthodontist.

3. Breathing Or Sleeping Troubles 

When your airways are blocked, you’re more likely to suffer breathing problems or sleep apnea. Experiencing this may mean that your teeth are blocking air from passing through it because of misalignment due to a narrow jaw. 

Signs of sleep apnea include snoring loudly, waking up with a dry, sore throat, and breathing through the mouth to get sufficient oxygen. You can improve these breathing troubles and sleep apnea with orthodontic treatment.

4. Overcrowding Teeth

You can let your teeth grow without overcrowding by letting an ortho fix your palate. They can slowly expand the roof of your mouth with a palatal expander so that your mouth grows outwards. This will also allow teeth to avoid overcrowding and achieve long-lasting results. Some of which will make you give a beautiful smile.

5. Difficulty Speaking Or Chewing 

Bite issues can also negatively affect how you swallow, speak, and chew. When you’re chewing, you’re more likely to be biting the roof of your mouth or cheek. Sometimes, you may even send jarring sensations through your jaw or whole face when your teeth collide when chewing. Or you could be saying words in a slurry way. 

When you experience such, it’s best to go to an orthodontist and have braces. This is one resolution for a misaligned bite. Through this treatment, you can correct the symptoms above and will also correct the alignment of your jaw. 

Conclusion

Your teeth can impact your physical appearance since they can make or break your smile, making it one of the best reasons why you should take care of your oral health. When you have a great set of teeth, you’re more likely to be confident flashing a smile. You also don’t suffer the pain associated with biting issues. On the other hand, having a crooked smile may lower your confidence. Visit your orthodontist to help you fix such an issue. 

The Latest News