The Oral Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect

You have a child who needs to undergo orthodontic treatment, but they also need restoration work done. You may ask yourself which of these procedures is appropriate to start with. In the majority of cases, it’s going to be important to get the orthodontic treatment done first. A few kinds of restorations may provide additional resistance during the readjustment. This can lead to longer adjustment times or higher chances of complications during treatment. 

Understanding Why Orthodontic Care Should Come First

There’s some good news for parents asking this question. The majority of young dental patients don’t have an oral health condition that requires a complicating restoration. However, the older your child gets, the greater the possibility that you’ll have to make this decision. The biggest concern when receiving orthodontic care is the presence of dental implants and bridges. Both of these restorations are fixed in place and won’t be able to move correctly during Invisalign adjustment. If your child already has a bridge, there is something that can be done. A bridge can be removed for the duration needed for Invisalign to adjust their smile. It’s also possible for the bridge to be cut into sections to allow it to move during the procedure.

Dental implants are another concern when considering dental realignment through Invisalign. It’s unlikely that a child will have received a dental implant, but there are cases where it can happen. If you know that your child is going to be undergoing orthodontic treatment and they also need an implant, it’s important to wait. If your child already has implants, there is some good news, however. If your child is going to receive an orthodontic adjustment using traditional braces, implants can be used as an anchor point. Anchor points ensure that only those teeth that need to move are moved.

There is one kind of restoration that doesn’t cause these kinds of problems. Crowns are physically part of the teeth and are able to move with the teeth. The way they are designed and set ensures they won’t interfere with the use of Invisalign or other clear aligners. However, they can be a problem for traditional orthodontic approaches like braces. Your dentist will have to be certain that the braces are mounted on the teeth in a way that does not put pressure on crown restorations. They aren’t able to withstand the pressures placed on the teeth during the orthodontic alignment process.

Have More Questions About Restoration Vs. Orthodontic Care First?

The first and best resource for concerns like these are your pediatric dental team. They’re going to know a great deal about your child’s oral health and what complications there may be. They can describe the treatments they can use to adjust your child’s teeth and whether the restorations will get in the way. Overall the majority of parents won’t have to worry about making decisions like these. Schedule a consultation with your dentist to determine if it’s relevant to your case.