Orthodontic Practice Dr. Kathrin Falkenstein in Regensburg · Kieferorthopädie für Kinder & Jugendliche Dr. Falkenstein Kieferorthopädin Regensburg

Orthodontics for Children & Youths

There's a lot of movement in your mouth right now.

As a rule, the milk teeth fall out one at a time up until the age of 12.
Until your permanent teeth have found their correct positions, there's a lot of movement in your mouth.

Unfortunately, it often happens that not all teeth come through right, or they don't come in at the right place, or they don't come in at all.

If this happens, it's advisable and necessary to see your dentist or an orthodontist.

Kieferorthopädie für Kinder & Jugendliche Dr. Falkenstein Kieferorthopädin Regensburg

Especially important for the development of your teeth!

Your sixth-year molars are now taking up a lot of space.

You should take real good care of them because they're extremely important for the development of your other teeth.

The reason is that the tooth enamel of the new permanent teeth isn't strong enough yet and these molars can get cavities easier.

Therefore, always clean your teeth real good.
Therefore, always clean your teeth real good. It would be best to have these valuable teeth treated with dental sealant to protect them against cavities.

Keep your milk teeth as long as possible!

It's real important to keep your milk teeth as long as possible so:



		your permanent teeth are able to find the right places,

		you can always take a good bite.

Premature loss of a milk tooth...

In addition to biting the front milk teeth also have another important function:

Articulating clearly when talking.

As placeholders for your new permanent teeth, the milk molars play a special and important role in the supporting (rear) areas of your rows of teeth.

While the permanent back teeth are developing underneath the milk molars, the permanent front teeth develop practically stacked behind the front milk teeth (on the tongue side).

If the milk teeth are lost prematurely, then the
sixth-year molars grow forward causing the permanent teeth to come in crookedly!

Causes of premature milk tooth loss:



		Too much sugar: Too much sugar destroys the teeth by causing cavities. Even though the notorious 'sweet teas' are hardly used anymore, the so-called 'nursing bottle syndrome',where the child sucks for long periods on a baby bottle, still plays an unfortunate role. The fact that fruit juices, in which the teeth are 'bathed' for hours, can cause massive cavity damage is unfortunately still not understood by many mothers in spite of widespread educational efforts. You should also be aware that milk also contains sugar!

		Accidents: Play and sports accidents, for example with rollers, bicycles or inline skates, are very common causes for the loss of a milk tooth.

Kieferorthopädie für Kinder & Jugendliche Kieferorthopädin Dr. Falkenstein Regensburg

Teeth are often lost as the result of sports accidents.
Especially endangered are children who don't wear a mouthguard,
as shown in the photo above.

When should you see an orthodontist?



		Receding lower jaw or protruding upper incisors. The upper front teeth are especially endangered. A chipped or lost front tooth resulting from an accident occurs 50% more often with children who have protruding upper teeth.

		Protruding lower jaw. Here, treatment should be started early because too rapid growth of the lower jaw should be slowed as early as possible.

		Frontal open bite. A frontal open bite is often the result of thumbsucking. The teeth can't grow out correctly and they thus don't close properly. This often results in problems with biting and talking.

		Lateral cross-bite. Most commonly, the upper jaw of these children is too narrow causing the teeth of the lower jaw to bite laterally outside the teeth of the upper jaw. The result is that the width of the upper jaw can't develop properly and the teeth also often do not have enough room and get crowded. This also limits sideward movement of the lower jaw which can cause problems with the jaw joints at an early age.

		Frontal cross-bite. When the lower teeth are in front of the upper teeth when the bite is closed, then you should urgently see an orthodontist because here also, treatment should be started as early as possible.

		Crowded teeth. When the permanent teeth start coming in, temporary crowding is usually not a problem. But if the teeth are so close together that the permanent teeth don't have a chance to come through or they take too long, then you should see an orthodontist or you should ask your dentist for advice. Your dentist will most likely send you directly to an orthodontist.

Are braces a trend today?

Today more children are treated with braces than ever before;
in Germany, roughly 1 million children are currently wearing braces.

There are several reasons for this:



		Parents and our social surroundings today place a greater value on healthy, straight teeth than in the past.

		The unhealthy consequences of misalignment of the teeth and jaws are better known today than in the past.

		Braces are today no longer a reason to be self-conscious; they show that you want to have straight, good looking teeth.

		Straightening the teeth at a young age ensures a beautiful smile for the rest of your life. That is most certainly a good investment for your child's future!

Orthodontic Practice in Regensburg Dr. Kathrin Falkenstein · Modern Orthodontics · Lingual Treatment · Gentle Orthodontics
Invisible Braces · Analysis of the Temporomandibular Joint · Microimplants