October’s here! A month when we celebrate the beauty of fall, the taste of pumpkin spice, the fun of Halloween in Ellicott City, Maryland, and the healthy smiles which orthodontic treatment makes possible!

Because October is Orthodontic Health Month, and it’s a great time to talk about how orthodontic treatment creates not just beautiful smiles, but healthy ones. 

Straight, evenly spaced teeth are the visible benefit of treatment, but there are many health benefits which might not be quite as noticeable. Orthodontic treatment can:

• Help Your Child Prevent Cavities and Gum Disease 

When teeth are crowded or crooked, it’s hard for a toothbrush and floss to reach all of the plaque which builds up on and between the teeth. The bacteria in plaque create acids which are strong enough to dissolve tooth enamel. And a very small hole in the enamel surface can grow until it becomes a cavity. 

Plaque and bacteria also irritate the gums. When children can’t remove plaque completely, their gums are at risk for gingivitis. This early stage of gum disease causes redness, tenderness, swelling, and bleeding. Left untreated, gingivitis can develop into more serious gum disease. 

And, over time, plaque hardens and becomes tartar, which needs to be removed professionally at Kids Dental Center.

When children’s teeth are straight and evenly spaced, brushing and flossing are both easier and more effective, helping them keep their teeth and gums healthy and plaque-free.

• Create a Better Bite

For a healthy bite, the teeth and jaws need to align correctly. The top teeth should slightly overlap the lower teeth, and the ridges of the upper molars should fit smoothly with the grooves of the lower molars. 

Malocclusions, or bad bites, can come in many forms, including overbites, underbites, open bites, cross bites, and overjets. A bad bite is bad for your child’s dental health. Malocclusions can cause tooth grinding, worn enamel, and even cracked teeth. 

And bad bites don’t just affect the teeth. When teeth and jaws don’t align properly, we might suffer from problems such as headaches, jaw pain, indigestion, and sleep apnea. 

Orthodontic treatment creates a healthy, symmetrical, and pain-free bite.

• Improve Your Child’s Self-Confidence

We can’t forget the invisible health benefits of orthodontic treatment! Your orthodontist can help your child achieve straighter teeth, a bite which fits together properly, and, when malocclusions affect jaw symmetry, a more balanced facial profile. 

Your child’s smile is a gift shared with the world. But when children hesitate to smile because they are self-conscious about their teeth or bites, orthodontic treatment can make a world of difference.

Modern orthodontic treatment is more effective and takes less time to complete than ever before. And orthodontics offers patients more benefits than ever before: 

• New types of braces are less noticeable and more comfortable than older styles. Smaller brackets, brackets which blend with tooth enamel, clear aligners, and lingual braces provide a variety of treatment options.
• Early orthodontic treatment can guide jaw growth in younger children. 
• Appliances can help with tooth and jaw alignment in older children.
• If necessary, for more serious malocclusions, an orthodontist can coordinate treatment with an oral surgeon.

the doctor and the team at Kids Dental Center recommend a child’s first visit with an orthodontist around the age of seven. If you’ve been considering orthodontic treatment for your child, October—or any month!—is a great time to schedule a visit with an orthodontist. Discover what your orthodontist can do to help make your child’s smile a beautiful and a healthy one.