The mouth can tell a story when it comes to overall health, and GRAHAME DUTTON and the Duxton Dental team keep this in mind when examining your child’s teeth.
When Duxton Dental performs an orthodontic assessment, they are not only looking for obvious signs, such as crowding and poorly positioned teeth, but also checking for clues that may suggest something else is going on.
SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR
Does your child breathe through their mouth or, when breathing, are the nostrils open on both sides? Poor breathing patterns can have significant effects on general and dental health.
Is your child sleeping well? Do they snore, have interrupted sleep, or problems with bedwetting? Do they grind their teeth? Kids who are in good health should not do any of these things. If they do, it could indicate airway concerns.
Where is your child’s tongue positioned when at rest? And during swallowing? Are the lips opened or closed when resting – you might notice that when they’re watching television? Do they have good tongue mobility, or could there be a tongue-tie? How big are the tonsils and adenoids? Does your child have any habits that force the teeth apart, such as thumb-sucking? Any one of these factors could have an impact on tooth position.
THOROUGH EVALUATION
During the orthodontic assessment, you might be asked about your child’s growth and shoe sizes, or about parents and siblings’ teeth. The team are not just being nosey; many pieces of the puzzle make up a complete orthodontic consultation at Duxton Dental.
Grahame Dutton and wife Christine Duxbury established Duxton Dental in 1996. Their team of dental surgeons have an avowed commitment to researching and implementing new technologies and techniques to provide optimal dental care that is minimally invasive, and that will stand the test of time.
03 348 5488 / duxtondental.co.nz
