While a temporary gap-toothed smile is an adorable part of growing up, some children possess dental deficiencies that will not go away without medical treatment. If your child’s smile could use a little repair, cosmetic dentistry may be a good choice. The practice of performing cosmetic dentistry on children, something that was once quite rare, is becoming increasingly common.
Benefits
Some parents mistakenly think that cosmetic dentistry is merely an optional, aesthetic change; however, there may be more benefits to dentistry of this type than meets the eye. Cosmetic dentistry may play a part in helping your child build his self-esteem, reports iParenting. By providing your child with dental care of this type, you can prevent him from having to deal with potential teeth-related taunting.
Braces
If your child’s smile is not as straight as you or she would like, putting braces on her teeth as soon as her permanent teeth come in can fix the problem. While orthodontists can apply braces even during adulthood, changing the shape of a smile is generally much easier when the individual is young, as her teeth placement is more easily changed than it will be in adulthood.
Traumatic Break Repair
If your child’s perfect smile is marred by an accident, he may be a candidate for traumatic break repair. When a child’s tooth breaks, dentists can perform a number of repairs, including bonding, or applying a partial false tooth. If the break is severe, your child’s dentist may even suggest veneers or a full crown.
Filling Options
While getting a filling once meant having a permanent, silver-colored, reminder in your mouth, today many dentists opt for a more aesthetic option when filling children’s teeth. Many dentists use a tooth-colored filling in children’s teeth as doing so prevents this visible reminder of the presence of a cavity.
Microabrasion
If soda, teas or dark colored fruits have left your child’s teeth a little stained, microabrasion is often an effective way to correct this problem. Cosmetic dentists commonly use microabraision to remove small areas of stain or enamel discoloration of children’s teeth, states iParenting.
