Many parents are unaware that a wide range of children’s teeth and jaw conditions can be treated quickly and efficiently. Some issues can even be prevented with early assessment and orthodontic treatment. It is worth investing in an orthodontic assessment from as early as five years old, as at roughly six years old, children are growing their permanent adult molars.

Arranging early orthodontic treatment can save you hundreds of dollars in the future. Not only can early assessment minimise your future costs, it is also likely that it will save time spent wearing braces to get the perfect, healthy smile you want.

 Here are 4 ways that orthodontic treatment can save you future time and money spent:

Early orthodontic assessment and treatment may prevent the need for braces

There are different conditions in children that can be rectified without the need for braces. Overcrowding is a childhood tooth condition which develops when your child's jaw is too small for all of his or her teeth. There are several methods of treatment for this, depending on the extremity of the condition or whether your child’s adult teeth have emerged.

With early assessment and treatment, such as teeth removal or a space maintainer fabricated to allow room for your child’s adult teeth to develop, it may stop the need for teeth braces in the future.

Early treatment can speed up the teeth straightening process

In the early stages of development, it is much easier to guide your child’s teeth and jaw into the correct position. Once a child’s adult teeth appear, these are much more difficult to straighten, resulting in further treatment being required.

By visiting a qualified local orthodontist, you can ensure your child receives the right treatment from a young age, that will enable him or her to have straighter teeth in the minimal amount of time required.

Orthodontic treatment at a younger age is less expensive

The longer you leave your child’s orthodontic treatment, the more expensive the tooth or jaw condition can become. Tooth conditions such as overcrowded teeth and widely spaced teeth, if left untreated, can result in gum disease, as teeth are harder to clean. Overbites, cross bites and underbites on the other hand, if left for a prolonged period of time, can result in painful jaw and joint problems.

Early orthodontic treatment can fix harmful habits

While thumb sucking in babies and small children is a common habit, often parents remain unaware that this can result in a jaw condition, called a crossbite developing. Oral habits such as sucking on a pacifier, finger or thumb past the age of 5 can result in a crossbite. With early orthodontic assessment and treatment a specialist can detect whether this habit is becoming harmful, and repair the problem with treatment such as a palatal expander, before additional expense such as oral surgery or teeth braces are required.