Primary Teeth & Orthodontics

The term malocclusion isn’t one many people know. But for parents who have kids with crowded or crooked teeth, or bite problems, it’s a term they know too well.

Crooked baby teeth can lead to crooked adult teeth. While malocclusion is often inherited, it can also be caused by dental injuries, the premature loss of primary teeth, or through thumb sucking, fingernail biting and other mouth habits.

Once adult teeth come in crooked, tooth decay can become a serious problem. In addition, teeth that “grind” together are more likely to catch food and promote bacterial growth, affecting the entire mouth.

Braces can help. Applying orthodontic care at an early age will not only straighten your child’s smile, but will have lasting effects for his or her adult teeth as well. Often pediatric orthodontics can help guide adult teeth into position, correct bite problems and may even prevent the need to pull teeth in the future.

Talk with Dr. Bill about your child’s teeth. Once a child’s teeth start to come in, it’s a good time to make an appointment to see Dr. Bill. If pediatric orthodontics is necessary, he’ll show you how it can help, what to expect, and how taking care of his or her teeth now will have lasting positive effects in the future. You can reach Dr. Bill’s office at 541-672-5535.