Orthodontist - Baltimore
3 Locations in Baltimore!
Locations
3 convenient orthodontic office locations in Baltimore Maryland!
Pikesville Office
1314 Bedford Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21208
(410) 653-6379
Harbor Orthodontics
2 East Lee St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-659-0770
Parkville Office
8813 Waltham Woods Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21234
410-882-2100
What Is Orthodontics?
Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.
The Right Time For An Orthodontic Check-Up: No Later Than Age 7
The American Association of Orthodontics recommends all children get a check-up with an orthodontist no later than age 7 because, while your child's teeth may appear to be straight, there could be a problem that only an orthodontist can detect.
Schedule an appointment if you recognize any of the following problems in your growing child:
Early or late loss of baby teeth- Difficulty in chewing or biting
- Mouth breathing
- Jaws that shift or make sounds
- Speech difficulties
- Biting the cheek or the roof of the mouth
- Facial imbalance
- Grinding or cleaning of the teeth
Tips For Good Oral Health
Good oral health is important, and some people may need orthodontic treatment to achieve it. The following list contains steps to help ensure your child's smile stays healthy and beautiful for years to come.
Watch for Signs of Trouble Problems such as early or late loss of baby teeth, difficulty chewing or biting or mouth breathing are all reasons to schedule a check-up with an orthodontist.
See anOrthodontist No Later Than Age Seven Even with baby teeth present, an orthodontist can detect existing or developing problems. An early evaluation is essential.
Brushing and Flossing To ensure proper dental health care, it's important to get childern on a consistent schedule of brushing after every meal and flossing once a day.
Eat a Healthy Diet Sugary itmes such as candy and soda pop cancause cavities. Parents are urged to control how often and how much of the sugar-laden items their childern consume.
Put an End to Bad Oral Habits If thumb and pacifier sucking are prolonged, either habit may cause problems with proper growth of the jaw and with tooth alignment.
Change Your Child's Toothbrush Regularly A toothbrush should be replaced every three to four months, whenever the bristles show signs of wear or after an infectious illness like strep throat.
Take Care of Braces Children currently in orthodontic treatment should avoid hard, sticky, chewy or crunchy foods thatmay harm braces and potentially prolong treatment time.
Guard Teeth While Playing Sports Make sure your child wears a mouth guard while playing sports to lessen the chances of fracturing or knocking out teeth.
Visit the Dentist Regularly A child should have the first dental visit no later than the first birthday, and regular checkups every six months thereafter.
For more information on orthodontic treatment, visit www.braces.org
Irregularities with your mouth and teeth, as well as certain abnormalities or irregularities with your facial features, are typically treated by specialists in orthodontic dentistry.The most common problems treated by orthodontists are related to overbites and underbites. A bad bite is an improper relationship between your upper and lower teeth; crooked or crowded teeth are often the culprit. This is also called a “malocclusion.” A malocclusion, which can happen over time or is inherited, can be treated with such dental appliances as braces, which are designed to restore your oral features (jaws, teeth and lips) into their proper balance. Moreover, bite problems can have an impact on your overall appearance.
Acquired malocclusions can occur as a result of a variety of things, including disease, thumb-sucking as a child, premature loss of teeth, an injury, or obstructive tissues such as your tonsils. Such problems can be minor in nature; many of us, for example, may have one or two teeth that are not perfectly straight or are even crooked. In other cases, bite problems can lead to premature loss of teeth, destruction of bone structures, speech and eating problems, difficulty in caring for teeth and premature tooth decay, as well as emotional distress.
Untreated malocclusions can also cause jaw joints to fall out of alignment; this can lead to chronic headaches, or facial and neck pain.
Symptoms that trigger orthodontics
If you are unsure whether you need to see an orthodontist, consider the following symptoms as a possible cue to do so:
- Frequent biting of your cheek, or cutting the roof of your mouth with a tooth.
- New erupting teeth that don’t come in straight.
- Problems speaking, or problems eating, such as chewing food properly.
- Teeth don’t make contact on one side of your mouth.