At Red Hill Dental Practice in Red Hill, Victoria, we offer oral screenings to ensure that a child is developing properly to maximise their airway health and develop towards a full adult smile. Nothing is more important than your child’s health; dental and airway health is critical to having happy, healthy and active kids.
Why are airway health and the spacing between children’s teeth so important?
Many factors can prevent healthy growth and facial development. Children can develop these in a manner that limits facial growth and narrows their palate, airway and spacing between teeth. This poor development can reduce a child’s quality of sleep, academic performance, confidence and self-esteem. In addition, it also creates an increased long-term risk of chronic disease and poor cardiovascular health.
How should a child develop dentally?
- Both the upper and lower jaw should match, and there should be symmetry
- Lip seal at rest with nasal breathing
- Teeth gently together at rest
- No movement of the lips or cheeks when swallowing
- You should be able to have enough space to fit a coin between every baby tooth at the age of five to know you have enough space for the adult teeth
If this is not the case, please bring your child in for an assessment.
What can we do when development is not on track?
Generally, monitoring development from an early age allows intervention at the optimal time for your child.
- From ages two to five, we can airway screen, give diet advice, and teach postural and breathing exercises
- During the Primary School years, we can airway screen, give diet advice and postural exercises, and explore options for expansion to aid development
- During the High School years, once all the teeth have erupted and growth is near completion, there are options to align the teeth either with traditional orthodontics or aligners
In addition to our services, we can also refer to specialist orthodontic services if required.