Do y’all remember those first-time mom worries? That nagging feeling you’d get in the pit of your stomach when even the tiniest thing seemed off? I know I stayed up late worrying about so many things with Cora that in hindsight seem silly. I was terrified when she was learning to say her name and couldn’t pronounce her “C’s” yet, for example. Whenever anyone asked, she was “Tora”, and while it was adorable my mind was filled with more anxiety than cuteness overload. I could only see little “Tora” going off to college with a speech impediment.
My sister tells a (now hilarious) story of being hysterical in tears thinking that a tree near their house was too close to her daughter’s room and would fall on her. Her husband, dutifully trying his best to calm her down, said, “No, don’t worry, it’s one of those BENDY trees. Like WooOOOOoooOOOOooo!” *cue grown man swaying his arms back and forth like an elegant weeping willow*
No matter how we try, even as our kids grow older it’s difficult to let go of the fear. With Cora, since she’s my oldest there are still so many things she experiences first that we haven’t had to deal with yet as parents. The main one right now being losing her teeth. She’s only lost two so far, which I feel like is way too slow. So many of her friends have two and three times that amount of teeth, and she even had her adult bottom teeth come in BEHIND her baby teeth, a phenomenon that our dentist told us she calls “shark teeth”. Comforting, no?
When I went to Dr. Hembree at Ferris Orthodontics for my most recent check up, I asked her opinion on Cora’s situation, and she made the surprising statement that most kids should have their first orthodontics check up by age 7. That seemed super early to me, but I discovered there are a variety of reasons why that’s the recommended timeframe:
- Orthodontists can spot subtle programs with jaw growth and emerging teeth while some baby teeth are still present.
- The orthodontist may identify a developing problem but recommend monitoring the child’s growth and development, or they may find a problem that can benefit from early treatment.
- Early treatment may prevent more serious problems from developing and may make treatment at a later age shorter and less complicated.
- In some cases, the orthodontist will be able to achieve results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have finished growing.
So what are some actual things early treatment might do? Here’s a short list:
- Guide jaw growth
- Lower the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth
- Correct harmful oral habits
- Improve appearance
- Guide permanent teeth into a more favorable position
- Improve the way lips meet
I had no idea! So now that we’re preparing to head back to school in just a couple weeks, I’m planning on scheduling a complimentary consultation with Ferris Orthodontics, just to put my mind at ease and find out if there’s anything with Cora’s teeth, jaw, bite, and more that need our attention. It’s impossible to completely stop the worry with motherhood, but if I can at least educate myself and take control in the areas where it’s possible, I simply have to do what I can!
And who knows, maybe Cora and I will get to have braces at the same time! 😉
XO,
A
P.S. This post was sponsored by Ferris Orthodontics. Don’t worry though, all opinions are my own!
