Ready to Succeed
3 IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS TO TEACH YOUR TEEN
Leaving the nest can be tough for young adults. There are so many things to remember, like making sure they have all the right supplies and remembering to keep important paperwork. So, before your child heads off to college, help them strengthen these three skills. How to Ask for Help Being capable starts with understanding what you need and asking for it. By having your child order their own food at a restaurant, make medical and dental appointments for themselves, and check out at the supermarket alone, you’ll be helping your child develop independence while encouraging them to take the lead. How to Seamlessly Get From Point A to Point B When your teen leaves the house, they’ll be traveling on their own on a bus, on a plane, by car, and by foot, so they’ll need to understand how to navigate airports, subway stations, bus hubs, and roads. Ask your child to give you directions when describing how to get to the mall or have them even drive you there if they are licensed. This will reduce stress during solo travels, and they’re less likely to feel overwhelmed if plans unexpectedly change. How to Handle Emergencies When children are fairly young, they learn how to call 911 in the event of life-threatening and serious emergencies. But other emergencies tend to pop up in life that don’t necessarily warrant a call to the police.
Show your child how to put on a spare tire, turn off utilities, patch a hole in clothing, and other basic but necessary skills so they don’t panic when something goes wrong in their dorm room or on the road. As a parent, it’s our job to teach our children the right skills to set them up for success and independence so they can take care of themselves when they finally go off on their own.
Why Early Intervention Orthodontics Are Important EARLY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME
As a general rule of thumb, proactivity is better than reactivity with anything in life. It’s best to have your roof inspected as it ages to point out potential problem areas before leaking or damage takes place. It’s important to have our cars tuned up to ensure they don’t break down, and going to the doctor for wellness visits is paramount to keep our bodies healthy and to catch warning signs of sicknesses or diseases. The same is true in orthodontics, especially when it comes to our children’s treatment. Early intervention orthodontics is extremely important to help identify potential orthodontic problems when they first present themselves, or in some cases, before they are even apparent. According to the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO), a child should see an orthodontist when an orthodontic issue first presents itself, or before a child is 7 years old. Here at Wrigleyville Dental,
know that how a child breathes, swallows and rests their tongue is an integral part in the way their jaw and teeth develop. So if their mouth isn't closed and lips aren't together, proper alignment cannot occur. These behaviors can be corrected with myofunctional therapy. And early intervention orthodontics can help children with their breathing and teeth spacing before permanent teeth erupt! It can also help with proper growth and cognitive development. Even though all permanent teeth are not in at this age, early intervention treatment can prevent certain complications from becoming more serious while waiting for all of the permanent teeth to come in. Some complications that are best treated at an early age include:
•
Crowded teeth
• Crossbites (when the jaw is shifting to either the right or left side) • Underbites (when the lower front teeth are in front of the upper front teeth) • Thumb-sucking or pacifier-sucking that is affecting tooth and jaw growth and development • Sleep issues (often times a dental origin)
we are helping our patients and our own kids, as young
as 5 years old, with orthodontic needs.
Recent literature repeatedly stresses the importance of proper oral habits. We now
For more information on early intervention orthodontics, give us a call! We are happy to help!
2 | WrigleyvilleDental.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator