6 Effective Steps to Prevent Crooked Teeth in Kids
Crooked Teeth are a common occurrence in children. Its appearance is largely attributed to hereditary factors. Misaligned or crowded teeth can lead to multiple issues in kids with two prominent ones. Firstly, it can lead to low self-esteem from a noticeably young age and secondly, it leads to dental diseases and speech issues.
Preventing Crooked teeth from forming when permanent teeth come through and to ensure good oral hygiene, parents can follow these simple yet effective steps.
- Put a Stop to Thumb Sucking
A habit of excessive thumb sucking in your child can lead to misaligned teeth while growing up. Kids do this as it gives them a sense of comfort and security from anxiety and stress. Sucking thumbs or pacifiers vigorously can lead to damage to the front teeth, roof of the mouth and can increase the pressure on the gums and jaws. Hence, it is vital to wean your child away from this habit at an early age to avoid thumb sucking teeth and speech related issues that arise.
- Pay Attention to Tooth Loss
Sometimes when kids lose their teeth due to a mishap or decay, it causes the other teeth around it to fill the space and can lead to crowded, misaligned permanent teeth. This can pressurize the gums and jaw and can lead to speech problems. To avoid this, pay special attention to any premature tooth loss in your child and seek treatment promptly to avoid damage to the surrounding teeth.
- Emphasize Oral Hygiene
Poor Oral hygiene leads to tooth decay and gum disease resulting in crooked and misaligned teeth. Teaching and encouraging your child to have proper dental hygiene habits at an early age will ensure a proper growth of teeth and avoid decay. By allowing them to mimic you while brushing your teeth morning and evening, they will get used to it even as their baby teeth are developing. This will ensure a proper well aligned growth of both temporary and permanent teeth.
- Scheduling Dental Visits
Dental visits for your child are essential throughout their life. Catching any signs of decay, crooked or misaligned teeth early on will allow the dentist to give a suitable treatment plan and will avoid any major treatments in the future like braces, surgery, or tooth implants.
- The Hereditary Connection
It is a given that the chances of your child having crooked, or crowded teeth increases much more if you had it growing up. You cannot control that, but you can rectify the outcome in your child. If there is a family history of misaligned teeth, then you must make sure that you inform your dentist and start adopting good dental habits for your child early on to develop healthy kids teeth.
6. Eliminating or Reducing Sugary Foods
Sugary foods will increase the risk of dental decay along with lost teeth, causing crooked teeth later on. A study from Finland’s University of Turku followed and compared 66 children from infancy to age 10. They found that those who consumed the most refined sugar in their diet had more than double the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth in their primary and permanent teeth compared to those with low sucrose consumption.
A beautiful smile is the first thing that attracts us to others. Following the steps outlined above will ensure that your child can have a straight, well aligned smile and a confident personality then that is the best gift you can give them.
Reference:
Ruottinen S, Karjalainen S, Pienihäkkinen K, Lagström H, Niinikoski H, Salminen M, Rönnemaa T, Simell O. Sucrose intake since infancy and dental health in 10-year-old children. Caries Res. 2004 Mar-Apr;38(2):142-8. doi: 10.1159/000075938.
