Is there anything we can to do prevent our son's permanent teeth from coming in crooked? both my wife and i had braces, and not great dental care as kids. we're wondering if there's anything we can do to make sure that our son's permanent teeth are straig

Nature : Nature will dictate how they come in but prudent monitoring of his eruption progress by an orthodontist with proper interceptive orthodontic intervention if necessary can greatly reduce the treatment required to give him straight teeth as an adult. Call for a consult and share your concerns.

For : For the most part, there is absolutely nothing you can do to make sure that your child's permanent teeth come in straight. However, if there is not enough room for a permanent tooth to come in, it tends to get delayed in erupting or diverted off to the side, rather than coming in straight. The only way to try to either prevent or minimize this problem is to make sure that your child is seen regularly by your dentist so that they can monitor the situation both visually be looking in the mouth and by viewing the eruption pattern through x-rays. Therefore, if there is an abnormal eruption pattern, it can be addressed and make it more likely that the teeth will erupt into the best possible position.

I : I agree that regular visits to your pediatric dentist is the best course of action. How the teeth erupt is determined by jaw size, position of the developing teeth, and whether any baby teeth have been lost prematurely. The pediatric dentist will be able assess the potential for the permanent teeth to erupted in a less than ideal position, monitor growth, be in a position to take steps to minimize the issue, and make a timely referral to an orthodontist, if needed, to help guide the teeth in to proper position.

The best you can do.: Is to see a pediatric dentist regularly. Beyond that, not much you can do. The pediatric dentist can sometimes enhance eruption of a tooth, but their influence is limited. Nature (genetics) is the main determiner of what will transpire.

Not so much: Preventive orthodontic measures are unlikely to eliminate crowding although they may reduce the severity. Expansion treatments in the lower arch done early have been demonstrated to yield more crowding long-term that if nothing was done at all. In other words, be cautious with accepting aggressive early treatments promising unique results.

Likely not: There are genetic and environmental factors that govern how teeth erupt. Genetic factors are the most common, and there is little to do regarding that. Seeing an orthodontist at about 7 yrs of age will allow for the best plan, and can make the best of what nature has in store. Environmentally, such things as over use of a pacifier or finger habits can be controlled and may be of some help.

No pill: Sorry, no pill you can take to ward off braces. Genetics and environment determine need for rx. You can maximize environment by making sure teeth are healthy, no pernicious habits, and wear mouth guard for sports. You can't change the genetic component. Best thing you can do is see an orthodontic specialist at age 7 for guidance until braces age.