Early jaw alignment therapy involves identifying and managing certain developing bite and jaw problems while a child is still growing.

Some orthodontic or jaw-related problems are easier to address when identified early.

Assessment may identify concerns involving:

• Jaw growth
• Crossbites
• Significant crowding
• Tooth eruption
• Bite relationships
• Developing facial and dental asymmetry

Not every child requires early orthodontic treatment. In some cases, monitoring growth and dental development is the most appropriate approach.

An early assessment allows us to identify developing problems before they become more difficult to manage.

It does not necessarily mean that your child will need braces immediately.

Depending on their development, we may recommend:

• Monitoring
• Early jaw alignment therapy
• Habit management
• Space maintenance
• Interceptive orthodontic treatment
• Comprehensive orthodontic treatment at a later stage

Early assessment allows treatment timing to be considered carefully.

Yes. We provide orthodontic treatment using appropriate braces, aligners and other orthodontic appliances for children and adolescents.

The most suitable treatment depends on the child’s dental development, bite, jaw growth and individual orthodontic needs.

Treatment may involve clear aligners, traditional fixed braces or other orthodontic approaches depending on the clinical situation.

Yes. Our practice is a Platinum Elite Invisalign Provider. Clear aligner treatment, such as Invisalign, is an option for suitable teenagers and growing children.

Whether clear aligners are suitable depends on factors such as:

• The type and severity of the orthodontic problem
• Dental development
• Tooth eruption
• The child or teenager’s ability to wear and care for the aligners consistently
• Oral hygiene
• Treatment goals

We assess each patient individually before recommending clear aligner treatment.

Habit breakers are dental or orthodontic appliances designed to help children stop persistent oral habits that may affect dental or jaw development.

Examples can include appliances used to help manage:

• Thumb sucking
• Finger sucking
• Tongue-related habits
• Certain other oral habits

The timing and type of appliance depend on the child’s age, dental development and specific habit.

Early assessment can help determine whether intervention is necessary or whether monitoring is more appropriate.

A space maintainer is an appliance used to preserve the space left by a prematurely lost baby tooth.

Baby teeth help guide the eruption of permanent teeth. When a baby tooth is lost earlier than expected, neighbouring teeth can sometimes move into the space, potentially affecting the eruption of the permanent tooth.

A space maintainer may be recommended when there is a risk that premature tooth loss could affect the developing permanent dentition.

Extra teeth, also called supernumerary teeth, occur when a child develops more teeth than the usual number.

They can sometimes interfere with the eruption or position of permanent teeth.

If an extra tooth is identified or suspected, we may use clinical assessment and dental imaging to determine its position and relationship to nearby teeth.

Depending on the situation, treatment may involve monitoring or surgical removal.

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, may sometimes require surgical assessment and treatment during adolescence or early adulthood.

Not every wisdom tooth needs to be removed.

Surgical treatment may be considered when wisdom teeth are associated with problems such as:

• Pain or infection
• Recurrent inflammation
• Significant lack of space
• Damage to adjacent teeth
• Cysts or other pathology
• Abnormal eruption
• Other clinically significant concerns

We assess the individual tooth and surrounding structures before recommending removal.

Yes. Any unexplained swelling in a child’s mouth, gums or face should be assessed.

A swelling may have a number of causes, including dental infection, an erupting tooth, trauma or other conditions.

Our assessment may include a clinical examination and, where appropriate, dental imaging.

If an infection is identified, we will discuss the appropriate treatment and whether additional medical or specialist care is required.

Facial swelling accompanied by difficulty breathing or swallowing requires immediate emergency medical attention.

Yes. Tooth grinding, or bruxism, is relatively common in children and teenagers.

The significance of grinding varies between individuals.

We can assess:

• Tooth wear
• Jaw and facial muscles
• Dental development
• Bite
• Symptoms such as jaw discomfort
• Sleep-related or behavioural factors where relevant

Treatment is not necessarily required for every child who grinds their teeth.
Where intervention is appropriate, we will identify and address the contributing factors and discuss suitable management options.