You Should See An Orthodontist For Your Child

When do you think a child has the most room for teeth? We can place a space maintainer on the permanent molars to maintain the leeway space, prevent those molars from drifting further forward, and use the space for the front teeth. You might think the older they are, the more room they have. If left alone, the arch perimeter will actually continue to get smaller and smaller as the person matures. If a child has crowding, a narrow upper jaw, a narrow airway, crossbite, or issues with snoring or sleeping, the time to address it is before the sutures interlock. An orthodontic expander is typically the best device in this case. It creates more space for the teeth and helps with the growth of the jaw in all three dimensions in space, so the jaw can properly develop. An expander can also help with open bites, underbites, overbites, and overjets. Not only is the result a more beautiful face, but patients can close their lips naturally, breathe easier, and enjoy better health. By that age, we usually have time to do something about jaw growth issues, and enough space to work with before it gets naturally lost. The longer we wait, the greater the chances of wear or other irreversible damage to teeth and surrounding structures. Additionally, there is a psychological benefit to correcting bites early on. I should reiterate that age seven is the absolute latest you should see an orthodontist for your child.

Code Of Silence

It’s also important to note that girls typically go through their growth spurt two years earlier than boys. Of course, the tongue is more than something you stick out at people. The tongue is an extremely muscular organ, and it plays a major role in speaking, chewing, swallowing, and tasting. Aiding the tongue are three pairs of major salivary glands and hundreds of smaller salivary glands around the mouth. They secrete saliva, which moistens and protects the mouth, begins to break down food, and facilitates swallowing. As you’ve already learned, your mouth is much more than just a collection of teeth. It’s also important to note that your teeth are more than just inorganic objects that require only brushing from the outside twice a day and cleaning by the dentist twice a year. Teeth have living internal structures that require nutrients to grow and develop correctly and to help protect them from the harsh environment of the rest of the mouth. Enamel is the outer layer of your teeth and the part we see. It is mainly composed of the mineral calcium phosphate, arranged in a strong crystal structure called hydroxyapatite, which is the hardest substance in your body, even harder than bone. Enamel is the only part of the teeth that does not have living cells. Dentin is the middle layer and has a team of cells that help to protect the pulp from oral microbes and repair any damage.

Not Guilty

The pulp supplies the blood and the nervous system that the teeth need for growth and maintenance. Cementum covers the root and is not exposed in mouths with healthy gums. They are at the bottom of the ocean. They are in volcanic vents, living on sulfur instead of oxygen. They are in the air and water and in every corner of this planet. Microbes are just about everywhere in your body, too, living on your skin, in your gut, and yes, in your mouth. Your microbiome is made up of all the tiny organisms in and on your body. It’s your microbial community, composed of bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. And, like a fingerprint, everyone’s collection of microbes is different. Launched in 2007, the Human Microbiome Project has taught us that there are more microbes living in and on us than human cells in our bodies. The human microbiome has evolved alongside us for millions of years and it is key to our survival. Most of your microbes are your allies.

Don't Lose Your Heart

They help digest your food. They keep your skin clear by eating dead cells. They work with your immune system to keep you healthy. And they can keep your mouth and teeth healthy. When bad microbes want to invade your body, your good microbes fend them off. Disease occurs when there is an imbalance in that microbial community, or when microbes gain access to parts of the body where they don’t normally live. Each person houses a unique microbial ecosystem balanced in its own way. Or, they can eat the same things and brush their teeth the same amount, and one will get cavities while the other doesn’t. So, where do we get our microbiome? A newborn baby gets its first dose of microbes passing through the birth canal. The vaginal microbiome has evolved to make this just the right healthy starter pack for the baby. The baby’s body gets a crash course on both good and bad microbes. Then, of course, that baby picks up microbial passengers from other caregivers and the environment, every day. Different species of microbes live in different parts of the body, forming their own habitats, starting with the mouth. As the gateway to the body, the mouth sends microbes to your gut every time you swallow. It helps with digestion, regulates metabolism, and helps your immune system fight off infection too. If you have poor oral health, the oral microbiome can get out of balance, compromising that entire system. This can result in serious consequences, including diseases such as colon cancer, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Now that you know that bacteria aren’t always the enemy, consider the fact that we live in a society bent on getting rid of them. We use antibiotics like crazy and overload on antibacterial soap and antiseptic mouthwash in our homes. And it’s no wonder that we do. They have been marketed as the epitome of clean. Slogans like Clean Hands Are Healthy Hands, Protect Those You Care For, and Kills 99.9% of Germs terrify consumers into thinking all bacteria are bad.