It is not uncommon for some of the primary care doctors, as well as ear, nose, and throat doctors, to recommend that a child will go to see an orthodontist. The child could be complaining about a host of other concerns along the way, but if the teeth or the jaw are not aligned, the root cause of that problem could be in the mouth. For example, if the jaw is poorly developed and the problem was not found at a young age, then it could make it hard to breathe for the child.
When the child does visit an orthodontist, they will have a chance to get some corrections done on the jaw and the teeth, which will help them to breathe better. There are a few signs that parents can look for to help them determine whether their child is breathing properly or not. Some of these include:
# Mouth breathing rather than through the nose.
# The mouth is open when the child is at rest.
# The child is sleepy during the day, often because they do not sleep enough at night.
# There are dark circles under the eyes when they wake up.
# Problems with snoring
# Bedwetting that is difficult to stop
# The child just has some poor sleep overall.
You may go to a well-child visit and then the doctor will recommend that your child go and see an orthodontist to get some work done to help with some of these concerns. In some cases, this is recommended right away, and other times a sleep study or some of the other assessments will be done ahead of time.
If this is recommended, it is a good idea to set up an appointment with an orthodontist as soon as possible. This will allow them to do a full check-up of the child and see if there are any concerns present. Then it is time to sit down and come up with a treatment plan that will keep your child safe and can help them breathe better.
Come and visit us at Fit to Smile and see what our specialists can do for your teeth. We know that you want to take good care of your teeth and make them look amazing for years to come. And our office is able to step in and make that happen. No matter the procedure that needs to be done or the amount of work, we are here to answer your questions and get it done without all of the hassle. Don’t wait too long and not take good care of your teeth. Contact a member of our team today to learn more!