Tips for Avoiding Braces

Guiding new teeth into their position in your child’s mouth may reduce or prevent the need for braces.

We have grown used to instant gratification, and our mouth and teeth don’t quite respond in that fashion. Nonetheless, there are fairly simple steps that I take to ensure that we allow each new tooth to position itself as straight as possible in its proper site in the mouth.

At each six-month continuing care visit, I evaluate the eruption patterns of your children’s new teeth. Radiographs are needed to estimate the availability of space and the approximate future location of these new teeth, and then design a strategy to encourage a natural alignment.

I may suggest the thinning of adjacent baby teeth or the sequential removal to get the best positioning of the newly arriving permanent teeth.

If your child has developed bad habits like thumb and finger sucking, using a pacifier for an extended period of time, tongue thrusting, and others, he may need either fixed or removable appliances to reshape his mouth.

Our goal is to enhance the smiles of your children by decreasing the severity of the misalignment and hopefully eliminating, minimizing, or delaying the need for braces. Thus enhancing their self-esteem, looks, function, and hygiene.