Orthodontic Dentist for Kids in NH

When children are involved in sports, it is crucial that they wear a mouthguard, (whether or not the team requires it!). Each year there are millions of children who suffer injuries to their teeth or face because they weren’t wearing the proper protection. Mouthguards are fairly inexpensive and can be found at sporting goods stores and pharmacies. There are mouthguards that are called “Boil and Bite” mouthguards. These are boiled at home and bitten when warm, and they fit to the teeth. These may be slightly more comfortable than the traditional style of mouthguard. Your child’s dentist or orthodontist could also make a custom fitted mouthguard by taking an impression of the mouth. These are actually quite comfortable, inexpensive and quite popular with children and teens. Patients with braces, however, must wear an orthodontic mouthguard. The custom fabricated guards or boil and bite guards are not appropriate for orthodontic patients, as their teeth are constantly moving. Your child’s orthodontist will usually supply the appropriate type of guard for your child’s needs.

When athletes who wear braces get hit in the mouth when not wearing a mouthguard, severe lacerations of the inside of cheeks and lips can occur. These injuries are quite painful from which to recover and completely avoidable with the use of a mouthguard. Cheerleaders without mouthguards tend to have a large occurrence of injuries like this when falls occur.

People don’t realize that mouthguards not only protect the teeth from impact and damage from baseballs, baseball bats, or being kicked in the mouth, but they also serve to prevent concussions of the brain. Mouthguards can help to reduce the effect of the impact of a collision or blow to the face or jaw. Concussions are too frequent with sports such as football and hockey, and should be prevented with whatever means possible.

Keep in mind that a mouthguard is one of the most important parts of your child’s uniform, and a very inexpensive way to protect your child from serious injury. Even if their coach doesn’t require them to be worn, parents should.  Go to http://www.vanguarddentalgroup.com/nh-dental-services/orthodontic-dentistry.php to learn more about mouthguards and the orthodontic services we offer at Vanguard Dental Group!

When you visit your dentist, or orthodontist, it is that doctor’s job to evaluate what treatment will provide you or your child with the most comprehensive care in order to achieve the best oral and physical health. I educate my patients as to what treatment is appropriate, what it involves and the time estimated for the treatment to be completed. It is also my job to explain the benefits of treatment and the risks and implications involved, should you choose not to pursue orthodontic treatment for your child.

Many people react negatively when they are informed that their child would benefit from orthodontic treatment. The case can obviously be made that orthodontic treatment is usually an elective treatment. People don’t die if they don’t have straight teeth, right? That’s true, however, orthodontic treatment is not just for cosmetic reasons. The fact is that orthodontic treatment has a profoundly positive effect on one’s oral health, facial skeletal development, function and appearance.

When a patient presents with a malocclusion (a misalignment between the upper and lower teeth when the jaw is closed, resulting in a faulty bite), they usually have either crowded teeth, which hampers a patient’s ability to properly clean and floss their teeth, or teeth with too much space between them. They can also present with a bite that is so misaligned that they have difficulty chewing their food properly, which can lead to gastrointestinal problems. Bite issues can also lead to problems such as grinding the teeth, which damages the teeth and causes problems with the jaw joints. Jaw joint problems can be very painful and cause damage to the joints over the years if the problem is never corrected.

Orthodontic treatment as a child can also be extremely beneficial in helping the patient attain a very pleasing skeletal facial appearance, as in the case of children who appear to have a very small chin, or a very protrusive “Jay Leno-like” chin. By properly aligning the teeth and jaw as a child, that child will now grow and develop properly so that the chin and profile will have a normal appearance. By treating with orthodontics at a young age, growth patterns can be corrected while the body is still growing, which is an advantage. If skeletal

Jay Leno

imperfections such as the Jay Leno chin are ignored as a child, that patient may eventually require a surgical correction as an adult. It just makes sense to perform a minor orthodontic treatment as a child, rather than ignoring the problem and having a much more complicated condition to deal with later in life as an adult. Go to http://www.vanguarddentalgroup.com/nh-dental-services/orthodontic-dentistry.phpto learn more about orthodontics for children, and what my practice has to offer. You can also see before and after photos of patients I have treated by going to http://www.vanguarddentalgroup.com/before-and-after-dental-gallery/.

So if your dentist or orthodontist recommends braces for you or your child, keep in mind that it really isn’t just for looks. It’s in the best interest of the patient and will aid in good oral hygiene and health, as well as solve problems that can be quite serious and painful if left untreated. We know that orthodontic treatment can seem like a big, elective expense, however, a beautiful, properly functioning mouth is an investment that will last a lifetime. You can’t say that about the car or boat you just financed for 5 years! Your child’s mouth is invaluable and should be treated as such by laying the foundation for a healthy mouth for their lifetime.