It's a big deal when your child loses their first baby tooth.  They look so adorable with their missing teeth!  Shortly after, one week to six months, an adult (permanent) tooth will appear-this is what I call the awkward years!  Their little faces don't quite fit their new adult-size teeth.  This can be concerning for parents when they see crooked teeth and large gaps as the new teeth erupt.  It is often difficult for the untrained eye to determine if there really is an orthodontic problem.  Here is an example of a little girl through the years.  When her permanent teeth started to appear, they looked quite crooked.  But when all of her permanent teeth came in, her teeth looked really straight.  In reality, she ended up needing braces for smaller problems (malocclusions) that are not as noticeable, but if left untreated would have left her with jaw issues as an adult. Dr. Bomstad and Dr. Karban send most of their patients to Harrington Orthodontics or Lake Minnetonka … [Read more...]