One of the key goals of orthodontics is achieving occlusion in a child's mouth, which refers to the perfect alignment of the bite and jaw. Anytime a child does not have occlusion it results in malocclusion, which is a condition that can lead to a number of different problems. To avoid the health risks and problems of malocclusion, you should consider getting braces on your child's teeth. Here are three problems that you could potentially avoid by doing this.

TMJ

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder is a condition that causes pain in the joints and muscles of the jaw. While it can be caused by many things, it is often a result of a misalignment of a person's bite.

If a person's bite is off, it can place added pressure on the temporomandibular joint, which is a very sensitive joint in the body. This added pressure can cause the joints to become inflamed. When this happens, TMJ begins developing, and this can be a very painful condition to live with.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition that is dangerous and prevents a person from breathing while asleep. If your child has a severe overbite, his or her chances of developing sleep apnea might be greater because overbites cause snoring.

When a person has sleep apnea, the tissue in the back of the mouth interferes with the normal breathing process. A correct bite will often prevent this from happening, and braces are the best way to correct overbites.

Gum Disease

Finally, correcting malocclusion with braces can help your child keep his or her teeth cleaner. When a bite is off, it is often because of overcrowding of the teeth. Overcrowding makes it hard to keep teeth clean, and it can lead to a development of plaque on the teeth, and plaque causes gum disease.

With braces, your child's teeth will be straight and his or her bite will be aligned properly. This will allow the child to keep his or her teeth cleaner, which can lead to better oral health.

When you take your child to an orthodontist, he or she will evaluate your child's teeth. Through this evaluation, the orthodontist will create a custom plan for the child, which will address all of the problems in his or her mouth. Not only will braces give your child a beautiful smile, but they may also help him or her avoid other problems in the future.