Ways to prevent crooked teeth in Children

Dental care for a child is vital, especially in their formative years. Not taking good care of oral health especially for kids would result in:

• Painful teeth, gums and the surrounding regions.
• Difficulty in eating food/chewing
• Sensitive teeth.
• Tooth decay

Having talked about the importance of dental care, one of the main concerns when it comes to a child’s dental care is the formation of crooked teeth.

For decades, crooked teeth has been treated as a rite of passage for children and teenagers. Not anymore. With research showing that crooked teeth would result in other disorders like sleep apnoea and a lifetime of ailments, people are starting to take crooked teeth more seriously. In this article, let us talk about what causes crooked teeth and what to do to prevent them.

Crooked teeth may occur due to a medley of reasons. There are different forms of crooked teeth(cross bite and open bite) caused by:

• Improper skeletal/jaw development: Poor dietary habits in toddlers and during the formative years would result in jaw misalignment. Deficiency in Vitamin C would lead to scurvy which in turn would then result in bones & teeth getting affected. This is why it is so important to have fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and calcium, especially for children.
• Nasal blockage: This plays a key part in affecting proper jaw development. A chronic blockage in the nose may adversely affect the breathing patterns and may result in the child breathing via his/her open mouth. There may be a myriad of reasons for nasal blockage ranging from sinus infections to tonsils to allergies. If your kid complains of breathing problems or if you notice something weird in his/her breathing, it is mandatory that you go to an ENT specialist to address the issue and nip it at its bud.
• Tongue thrusting: Improper tongue posture(low/forward tongue) indicates that the tongue is not against the roof of the mouth, thus not activating all the muscles in your mouth. This is why you should pay more attention to your kid’s position of the tongue in his/her relaxed posture. Not activating all the muscles contributes to the crooked teeth.
• Swallowing incorrectly
• Poor lip/dental posture

This is why parents/guardians should take great care of their ward’s oral habits and correct behaviour that would cause malocclusion to their kids down the time lane. Here are some tips to prevent crooked teeth in children:

• Making them consume foods rich in Vitamin C such as broccoli, green and red peppers, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes and potatoes. Training kids to consume this food will greatly reduce the chances of them developing crooked teeth in older age. Vitamin C is well known for its ability to prevent scurvy and strengthen the teeth and fragile gums.
• Making them consume foods rich in Calcium such as milk, eggs and green vegetables. Calcium is also quite good in strengthening bones and has a multitude of health benefits.
• Teaching proper oral hygiene to kids and training them to avoid sucking thumb, bad tongue habits and other small actions that cause harm down the lane. Training them thoroughly on proper oral hygiene would go a long way in making sure they have healthy gums and teeth.
• Taking kids to regular dental visits.
• Training them to brush and floss regularly
• Taking them regularly to a dentist.
• Helping them adopt a proper flossing technique.
• Wear appropriate braces to correct/straighten out the teeth after consultation with a dentist.