When children reach their teenage years, it is common to find that treatment with an orthodontist Stoke-on-Trent is required to address one or more dental problems. One of the contributing factors to adolescence being a key time period for dental care is the emergence of adult teeth. By our teenage years we are expected to have lost most of our baby teeth, if not all of them, and to have been left with our adult teeth. Our adult teeth are then expected to serve us for the rest of our lives (or thereabouts) if we look after them well, so it is important to start on a good footing when they initially come through.

During adolescence we have a unique period of time when it comes to dentistry in which the permanent (adult) teeth have emerged, but as growth is still taking place the bone structure around the teeth is perhaps more able to be manipulated (where needed). This means that issues such as underbite or overbite are often addressed by the orthodontist Stoke-on-Trent during the teenage years.

Why should I take my teen to see the orthodontist?

One thing which we see here at Ashlow Orthodontics is that teens seek intervention from an orthodontist Stoke-on-Trent due to having problems such as malocclusion, misalignment and problems with the jaw. As mentioned above, as far as the bone structure in this developmental stage, there are problems which can be addressed during the teenage years which are more difficult to address once the bones become more mature.

It is widely known that teenagers undergo teeth straightening treatment with devices such as braces. Where crookedness, overcrowdedness, gaps or bite problems are an issue for your teen, our orthodontist may recommend braces as the most suitable option for them. Braces can be used to correct problems of varying levels of severity which makes them a popular option for addressing dental problems.

Confidence is a hot topic when it comes to teenagers, as during this period of adolescence, children become more self-aware and perhaps more self-conscious. Appearance is often given weight amongst teenage social circles, so helping teens to gain a smile they feel confident to show off to those around them is a privilege we experience here at Ashlow Orthodontics.

There are early factors which you as a parent can be aware of when thinking about possible dental interventions for your child. Habitual thumb sucking can cause dental problems which need to be addressed by our orthodontist in order to help prevent these problems moving into adulthood. If timings of losing baby teeth seem too soon or indeed too late, this may be an indication that seeing us here at Ashlow Orthodontics could be beneficial for your child. It might be that tools such as X-rays could be used to help us to understand what is going on for them below the surface of their gums. If your child’s jaw appears to be out of alignment with their face, this could also be an indication that intervention might be needed.

Of course, if orthodontic treatment is something which could be beneficial for your teen, our dental practitioner would be able to discuss this with you at greater length and with the individual in mind. To discuss your teen’s needs and book a consultation with us, do get in touch.