What should we do if children have deformed teeth?

As technology in our daily lives becomes more and more advanced, the cosmetic surgery industry is also becoming more and more developed. Among them, tooth correction is the most popular. Nowadays, we can see some children whose teeth have just developed wearing braces. What's more, we can see some women in their thirties and forties wearing braces for the sake of beauty. This brings us to our topic today: what should we do if our child has deformed teeth? Is orthodontic treatment the only solution?

During the growth and development of children, any factors that affect the normal development of teeth, jaws, and face can lead to malocclusion. Therefore, early treatment of children's dental deformities is particularly important. For a long time, the view that "orthodontic treatment should not be started until all teeth are replaced at the age of 12" has left a deep-rooted memory in the minds of many people (including "professionals" in the dental industry). Early treatment of dental deformities has not been taken seriously, causing many patients to lose the best opportunity for correction, leading to further development of dental deformities. Some even develop into severe bony malocclusion, and finally have to undergo surgical treatment, which not only affects children's learning, but also adds unnecessary financial burden.

Dr. Yang, an orthodontic expert from Sichuan Medical University specially hired by Ya'an Century Dental Clinic, told a true story: A few years ago, a parent brought her daughter to a dental clinic on the street for a dentistry check-up. The little girl was 8 years old at the time and had anterior crossbite (i.e., her teeth were "underbite"). To be on the safe side, the parents registered a number. The doctor who saw them told them that it was too early to undergo correction now and they should wait a few years. Two years later, the parents found that the little girl's deformity was becoming more and more serious. They were very anxious and went to see the doctor again. The doctor said to wait until the child’s teeth have all replaced at the age of 12 before coming back for treatment. In a blink of an eye, the little girl was 13 years old. When they went to see a specialist again, they were told that it was too late for treatment and they could only wait until they were 18 to have surgery. The little girl's mother was left in tears and laughter.

It was later learned that the "dentist" knew nothing about orthodontics and had only learned how to make dentures from someone else. So, at what age is it appropriate to correct tooth deformities in children? Experts from Ya'an Century Dental Clinic told parents that the key is "early" and not to miss the opportunity to treat dental and jaw deformities.

Straightening your teeth is a big deal, and it’s not something you can do just because you want to. This also involves the pain of tooth extraction and the hassle of going to the hospital for follow-up visits every month. So here I suggest that if a child has deformed teeth, we should seek the simplest method of treatment instead of directly correcting the teeth.