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
Orthodontics for Children
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
Malocclusions are fairly common in children (as well as adults). While some malocclusions are so minor that no treatment would provide a demonstrable benefit, serious malocclusions may require intervention in the form of appliances such as braces.For this reason, regular dental checkups are critical because they provide an opportunity for a dental professional to spot small problems before they become big ones. During a routine exam, your dentist may be able to determine if the child's jaws are growing properly and at the same rate.
If your child has any of the following symptoms, a more detailed orthodontic exam may be called for:
- "Loose" jaws that can be easily shifted around or make popping noises when opening or closing
- Abnormal bite relationship (teeth that don?t match up well when biting)
- Baby teeth that are lost too early or too late
- Biting the cheek or roof of the mouth
- Breathing through the mouth excessively (instead of through the nose)
- Disproportionate teeth or jaws
- Problems with biting down or chewing food
- Teeth that have become crowded, knocked out or in the wrong place
- Thumb-sucking or finger-sucking
Here are just some of the benefits of catching problems early:
- Avoiding impacted teeth
- Avoiding more costly and lengthy orthodontic treatments in later life
- Avoiding soft tissue and palate injuries from protruding teeth
- Bad habits like thumb- or finger- sucking can be corrected
- Correcting breathing, speaking, swallowing or eating problems
- Creating space for newly erupting or future erupting teeth
- Erupting teeth and jaws can be gently glided into their correct positions
Extracting a tooth (either primary of permanent) before its time can sometimes do more harm than good.
There are reasonable instances, and good cause, however, for extracting teeth early in a child.
Common justifications for an early tooth extraction include preserving space for other incoming teeth to avoid crowding and possible impacted teeth later on, or to clear an obstructed tooth that is preventing a jaw from forming correctly.
As your child grows
Orthodontists employ a wide variety of "growth modification" techniques to help nature correct problems as your child grows.
Orthodontic appliances can do wonders as your child develops. For example, an appliance may stave off problems with an upper or lower jaw that isn't growing at the same rate as the other, or correct problems that are creating difficulties with chewing or swallowing.
Whatever the cause, orthodontic treatment during your child's development will reap substantial dividends in adult life, including avoidance of possible surgery, improved oral health and improved self-esteem.
Typically, children between the ages of 10 (usually girls) and 12 (usually boys) benefit greatly from procedures designed to correct jaw length and width problems.
Keep in mind that orthodontic treatment involves a firm commitment from the child, as well as the parent. The kinds of changes such treatment is designed for sometimes take years to fully realize their benefit. Also bear in mind that even the most dedicated commitment is no guarantee of permanent results. Nature sometimes has a way of taking over, and in limited cases, relapses can occur later on.