Concerned about your child’s teeth? It’s never too early to see an orthodontist!
More than a year ago, Mia Samson noticed something about her 10-year-old daughter. “Maya felt conscious about her teeth and the way she smiled. She was slowly feeling more embarrassed, and this diminished her confidence very quickly.” A visit to Oraderm Care Clinic revealed that her eldest child was eligible for Phase 1 orthodontics, while her nine-year-old son, Jacob, also had an underbite issue that could be remedied through pre-orthodontic treatment. Mia shares, “Dr. Syjuco explained that the two front teeth of Maya may just keep rotating if left untreated. If we wait any longer, it would be harder and more complicated to correct later on.”
At first, the mother of three had questions such as “Is it too early for my children to have braces?”, “How much will it cost me?”, “Will it be painful for them?”, and “How long will the treatment be?” During their consultation, Mia discovered that pre-orthodontic / early orthodontic treatment can be done to correct Jacob's bite and prevent severe orthodontic problems later on, as the clinic monitors his current dental development and skeletal growth. On the other hand, Phase 1 was perfect for her daughter Maya with fully developed permanent front teeth and first molars. The year-long process would prepare or create spaces for Maya’s other permanent teeth to come out, while controlling and correcting her facial profile.
After hearing Dr. Syjuco's diagnosis and recommendation for each child, Mia was completely on board. “I trust Dr. Marie completely, so I was not hesitant at all. I just wanted to be sure my children were comfortable and prepared for the treatment.” There were some concerns raised by her daughter about getting braces, but nothing that couldn’t be addressed. Mia shares, “Maya feared the wires would be painful, and that she would not be able to eat or chew. There was clearly a discomfort, but Dr. Marie described the feeling extensively and prepared Maya for what to expect. Plus, they were always available for all her questions. They were patient with her and explained in very simple words what to expect and what was required of her.”
Maya began her Phase 1 orthodontic treatment on March 2018, while Jacob started his pre-orthodontic treatment in March 2019. Looking back, the process was not as tedious as Mia first expected. She recalls, “There were just many visits to the dentist (weekly, then bi-monthly visits), but because they were planned out ahead of time, I was able to make appointments around the dental visits. Maya felt the same way. She felt supported, and it was not as complicated as she thought it was going to be.”
Though Maya never complained about eating with her braces on, Mia noticed a change in her daughter’s eating habits, saying, “Maya didn’t like eating meat before she had braces, she articulated that meat was hard and difficult to chew. As a result, she was a picky eater and was underweight. After having braces and her teeth improved, so did her willingness to try different types of food and textures.” Meanwhile, Jacob initially experienced some minor annoyances to the pre-orthodontic treatment, but he learned to adjust to it after a couple of weeks.
Mia’s outlook about her children having braces early changed once she saw the positive changes it brought to Maya’s life in just a year.
“I now realize that braces are not always painful and troublesome. Seeing the results of the treatment, I’m happy my children had it done earlier than later because the sooner the correction to their bite and facial structure can be made, the better.”
Mia suggests working closely with a dentist you trust who can give you assessments based on your child’s tooth development and jaw growth.
Remember, you don’t need to wait until your child is a teenager to get braces. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) highly recommends young children to see an orthodontist before they turn 7 years old. A child doesn’t need to lose all of his milk teeth before he can sit on the orthodontist’s chair for a diagnosis. Parents can observe their child’s dental progress and keep an eye out for signs such as early or late loss of baby teeth, trouble with chewing or biting, mouth breathing, and/or difficulty in talking. Waiting for all of the child’s permanent teeth to come out before correcting the problem might result in a more challenging and tedious orthodontic experience.
These days, the Samson kids are all for showing off their healthy, beaming smiles! Maya successfully completed Phase 1 of her treatment last April, and is just waiting for her Phase 2 treatment. Jacob’s underbite was corrected, and the clinic is just waiting for his other permanent teeth to develop so that he can begin with Phase 1. The siblings have nothing but great things to say about the experience, with Maya saying, “I’m happy they do their job well at Oraderm Care Clinic. They made my teeth straight.”
Oraderm Care Clinic provides preventive and corrective orthodontic treatment for irregular-looking teeth. Offered to children as young as 6 years old whose milk teeth are out, Pre - orthodontic, Phase 1, and Phase 2 treatments are given depending on each meticulous diagnosis. Oraderm Care Clinic develop healthy smiles and correctly align bite using only the best techniques and modern treatments. For more information, visit us or book an appointment by calling (02) 7586-2597 or +63917-5597973.