4 Devices That Can Be Used to Correct a Child’s Orthodontic Challenge

Orthodontics is a branch of dental medicine that helps to address the problems caused by wrongly positioned jaws and teeth. For instance, large spaces between teeth can affect a child's social interactions because he or she may be unable to pronounce some words well. This article discusses four orthodontic devices that can be used to address different conditions that your child may have.

Space Maintainers

These can be fixed or removable. They consist of an acrylic base that helps wire or plastic branches to prevent neighbouring teeth from filling the gap left by a missing tooth. These devices are particularly helpful if your child lost a baby tooth. The space maintainer allows a new tooth to grow in that reserved space so that your child has a complete set of teeth when the permanent teeth replace the baby teeth.

Palatal Expanders

These are placed inside the upper roof of the child's mouth. They are made from plastic. They exert an outward pressure on the joints inside the palate. This forces them to expand outwards so that the arch of the palate widens. This device may be necessary in order to enable the upper teeth to make contact with the lower teeth when your child bites something.

Aligners

These do the same work as braces. The only difference is that aligners do not have wires or brackets. The aligners are made in series so that each subsequent set pulls the teeth closer to each other in order to remove gaps. The aligners can be removed when your child is going to brush or eat. The added advantage of aligners is that they are nearly invisible. Consequently, they do not cause the same level of self-consciousness as traditional braces.

Dental Splints

These removable devices can be worn inside the lower or upper jaw. They serve a variety of purposes. For instance, they can be given to a child suffering from TMJ syndrome. The splint can help the child to experience less pain since they train the jaw to move in a more controlled way. This eases the strain on the jaw muscles.

As you can see from the information above, several orthodontic devices can be used to address any dental condition that your child is suffering from. You should therefore contact your dentist or orthodontist so that your child is thoroughly examined. The orthodontist will recommend the most appropriate device that will rectify the dental problem that has been observed in your child. This orthodontic intervention should be sought at the earliest opportunity so that permanent deformation is avoided.


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