For pediatric orthodontics in Osaka, go
to Hashimoto Dental Office

Are you worried about the alignment of your child's teeth ?

Why do children's teeth become crooked?

What causes misalignment of children's teeth?

Children today are less likely to chew their food properly, which can prevent the jaws from developing properly and lead to problems with tooth alignment.

Genetic factors and habits such as thumb sucking and resting your chin on your hand can prevent teeth from growing properly, but malocclusion caused by mouth breathing is also thought to be a contributing factor.

Mouth breathing can be one of the causes of poor tooth alignment.

It is said that many children breathe through their mouths due to a narrow upper jaw and a stuffy nose.

Although the tongue should be lightly touching the roof of the mouth , children who breathe through their mouth tend to place their tongue lower or further forward than is appropriate, a habit that can lead to speech changes, a visible tongue, noisy chewing at meals, and slower eating.

When the mouth is left open, it puts increased internal pressure on the upper jaw, causing a pointed, V-shaped tooth alignment and misalignment of the lower jaw as well.

Pediatric orthodontic treatment
does more than just correct the alignment of teeth ;
it helps children grow healthily

Orthodontic treatment using rapid expansion devices
improves teeth alignment and mouth breathing

There is an effective approach to correcting malocclusion caused by mouth breathing, especially in growing children:
rapid expansion therapy. This method addresses the underlying cause of the malocclusion by physically expanding the upper jaw.

Rapid expansion appliances are fixed devices that are attached to a child's upper jaw. The main purpose of these appliances is to expand the bone in the roof of the upper jaw (the part where the left and right bones are joined by a suture called the "median palatine suture").

In children who are still growing, these sutures are not yet fixed and are flexible, so it is relatively easy to expand the upper jaw using an appliance. The application of the appliance promotes the formation of new bone and makes it possible to expand the upper jaw. If the upper jaw expands to the appropriate width, malocclusion can be improved.

Do children who breathe through their mouths tend to snore?

Sleep apnea (snoring) is often thought to be a condition that only affects adults, but it is actually a common condition in children as well.

In particular, if a child breathes through their mouth while sleeping, the tongue is more likely to fall into the airway.

When the tongue is blocked, the airway becomes even narrower, making it difficult for air to pass through, which leads to snoring, where you unconsciously breathe in hard to get the oxygen you need.

Rapid expansion devices are gaining attention as an orthodontic treatment that promotes healthy growth in children.

Sleep apnea also causes a decrease in the secretion of growth hormone during sleep, which has adverse effects on a child's physical and mental health.

Specifically, children with sleep apnea may exhibit behavioral changes such as difficulty concentrating, unstable moods, and irritability. These problems may lead to poor academic performance and poor performance in physical activities. Children may also exhibit physical symptoms such as bedwetting, development of pectus excavatum, low body weight, and short stature.

To address this situation, the use of "rapid expansion devices" has been gaining attention, especially in the United States. These devices open up the nasal passages, allowing the child to breathe properly through the nose.

Orthodontic treatment using a rapid expansion device can also improve mouth breathing and reduce snoring in children.

Therefore, the use of rapid expansion devices plays a very important role in orthodontic treatment for malocclusion caused by mouth breathing.

About our pediatric orthodontics

The purpose of pediatric orthodontics is to utilize your child's bone growth to create space for permanent teeth to grow in properly and promote proper jaw growth .

Orthodontic treatment for children has the advantage of taking advantage of the child's growth, and can naturally bring the child's teeth closer to a beautiful alignment.
However, if treatment is started at a time when bone growth is not expected, surgery to extract teeth or cut bones may be necessary depending on the state of the teeth alignment.

To avoid such risks, we recommend early orthodontic treatment, taking into consideration your child's future teeth alignment .

When to start orthodontic treatment for children

So when is the best time to start orthodontic treatment for children?

The appropriate time to start orthodontic treatment for children is said to be around the second or third grade of elementary school (7 to 8 years old).
This is the time when the upper and lower front teeth are replaced, and the future alignment of the teeth can be predicted to some extent .
However, this is a general guideline and may differ for each individual child.

Children's orthodontics without tooth extraction

Just like cavities and periodontal disease , early detection and treatment are important for crooked teeth.

Treatment most often begins in the early years of elementary school.

In most cases, the earlier you start, the easier it will be to treat. Treatment is mainly done using a fixed device called a rapid expansion appliance . A rapid expansion appliance is a fixed expansion appliance that expands the width of the upper dentition (dental arch) horizontally.

The optimal age for treatment is between 6 and 15 years of age.

Four benefits of orthodontic treatment for children

1. Improve mouth breathing

Breathing through your mouth due to a stuffy nose can have a negative effect on your teeth.

You may be surprised, but a stuffy nose can cause crooked teeth and other crooked front teeth
. The reason is actually simple: when your child has a stuffy nose, they start breathing through their mouth. When they breathe through their mouth, the tongue drops, and the alignment of their teeth changes accordingly.

At our clinic, we identify the cause and provide treatment to improve mouth breathing for the sake of your child's growth.

2.
It is possible to adjust the balance of the jaw

This is a special treatment that can only be given to children.

Correcting the position of teeth and habits during a child's growth period helps to keep the growth of the face and jaw even. Adjusting jaw growth during this period is a special orthodontic treatment that can only be performed on children.

3. It reduces the possibility of tooth extraction

Consider your child's future and seek early treatment.

In most cases, orthodontic treatment for children can expand the roof of the upper jaw to promote nasal breathing and create space for the upper front teeth to be aligned.

When undergoing orthodontic treatment as an adult, if there is not enough space to align the teeth properly, teeth that can be removed may have to be extracted. However, by starting orthodontic treatment as a child, the chances of such extractions can be reduced.

4. Increased smiling during the important adolescent years

I want you to take lots of photos of your child smiling.

The most common concern about teeth alignment, from children to adults, is the appearance .
In particular, there are many people who consult our clinic saying , "I've always been worried about the alignment of my teeth, so I've had to cover my mouth with my hands and couldn't smile as much as I wanted."

If possible, I would like them to avoid such worries and spend their adolescence, a once in a lifetime period when they are concerned about the opinions of others, with a smile.

For this reason, we recommend starting orthodontic treatment from an early age .

About our pediatric orthodontic
treatment method

Depending on the child's age and case, we can also offer a wide range of orthodontic treatment methods, such as "Invisalign First" and "rapid expansion devices."

Invisalign First

Invisalign First is a nearly transparent, inconspicuous mouthpiece-type orthodontic device for patients who are still growing .

It is used in dental clinics across the country and is aimed at children generally between 6 and 10 years old who have a mixture of baby and permanent teeth , but eligibility is based on dental age rather than physical age.

Rapid expansion device

A rapid expansion appliance is a fixed expansion appliance that expands the width of the maxillary dentition (dental arch) horizontally.

The optimal age for treatment is between 6 and 18 years of age.

Flow of initial consultation and treatment

1. Free CounselingWe understand that children have many anxieties about their first orthodontic treatment.
   First, please consult with us about your child's and parents' hopes and concerns.
2. WorkupThere may be problems with children's teeth that cannot be detected by appearance alone.
   In order to provide safe treatment that is suitable for your child, we conduct detailed examinations to examine the condition of the teeth, jaws, and face.
3. diagnosisBased on the results of the examination, we will propose the best treatment plan, duration and cost for your child.
   Here too, we will be sure to ask you anything you don't understand or have any questions about.
4. Start of treatmentWe will start orthodontic treatment that is tailored to each individual child. Children
   will come to the clinic regularly for adjustments to the orthodontic appliances and progress monitoring.