Crooked teeth can be stressful for parents because they affect a child's speech and appearance if left untreated. Apart from being hard to brush and keep clean, crooked teeth can also trigger bigger problems like gum disease and decay later on. Here are some efforts to help you prevent your child from getting crooked teeth. Regular visits to the dentist will also help keep your child's teeth development on the right track.

Try To Wean Your Child Off Thumb Sucking

Children are prone to thumb sucking, and some kids use it as a source of comfort. But this habit can affect the way their teeth develop once they start to sprout from the gums. Constant thumb sucking will not only cause teeth damage, but it will also affect their gums over time. Dummy sucking can also affect teeth as they develop because of the way these push against gums, so you may want to consider stopping this habit too. Weaning them off this habit as quickly as possible will be beneficial for their teeth in the long run.

Take Action In Case Of Missing Teeth

Your child can lose a tooth for a variety of reasons. Perhaps he or she lost it while playing a sport or perhaps it fell off due to decay. When a tooth falls off, the surrounding teeth no longer have any support from it. This will cause the adjoining teeth to grow into the gap, which makes them crooked. While following good oral hygiene habits such as brushing regularly and flossing can prevent tooth decay, accidents cannot always be prevented. Take your child to a dentist immediately to fill up the gap caused by missing teeth to prevent other teeth from growing into it.

Get Regular Dental Check Ups

When children start to develop teeth, it's important that you schedule regular dental check ups. Not only will this help to prevent crooked teeth, but it will also help to ensure no serious problems develop in the long term. The dentist will check to see whether teeth are developing in the right manner and may offer certain minor treatments to prevent crooked teeth from growing out if early signs are noticeable. This will help your child avoid braces, plates, and other major dental treatments later. Regular dental check ups from young will also help your child feel more comfortable when treated.

Crooked teeth can make your child feel self conscious, so make sure you do everything you can to prevent this from happening.

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