RISING TO THE
Ask The
Expert!
e g n e l l a h C
I have a son who is 9 years old and have noticed that some of his friends are already having some orthodontic treatment. Is it too early to start treatment at this age? People often think that orthodontic treatment should start in the teenage years once all the permanent teeth have erupted. This may be true in many cases, however, younger children with specific orthodontic problems, may benefit from early orthodontic treatment. We would recommend that you book your child in for an early assessment if you notice any of the following: • Early, late or irregular loss of the baby teeth • Crowded, crooked or misplaced teeth • Prominent upper or lower teeth (underbite or overbite) • Jaws that seem out of proportion to the rest of the face • Persistent oral habits such as thumb sucking beyond the age of 5 years Early orthodontic treatment may give us a chance to: • Guide the growth of the jaws • Lower the risk of trauma to prominent front teeth
By Melissa Walsh
• Correct any harmful oral habits
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• Guide permanent teeth to erupt into a more favourable position • Improve the alignment of the teeth Getting the timing right for any orthodontic treatment is important and we recommend that you bring your child in for their first orthodontic check-up when they are 8 years of age.
Dr Adam Leung BDSc (Hons), DClinDent (Ortho) Specialist Orthodontist Peninsula Orthodontics 134 Tanti Avenue, Mornington Ph: (03) 5975 5166
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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2018
earning a child has been diagnosed with cancer is devastating and affects the whole family. Most children have trouble understanding what is happening to their bodies and can find the treatment process emotionally and physically draining. The experience has an overwhelming impact on anyone associated with that child and this is where Challenge.org can help. Peninsula Kids Magazine talks to former chairwoman and Blairgowrie local, Anna Toman, about being involved with this marvellous organisation. “When I started working in the music industry, and working alongside CEO Challenge.org David Rogers, we organised rock and roll entertainers to visit the Royal Children’s Hospital, and that was how I first became involved with Challenge,” said Ms Toman, who works as an Entertainment Manager for Mushroom Events. “From then, we decided to start the Diamonds Dinner which has now evolved into an amazing event.” Challenge have their annual Diamond Ball event coming up in June which is held at Crown, and what makes this event unique is that it has 1600 women in one room, all there for the same reasons. “The event organising committee are all women and proceeds from the evening go towards Challenge’s women’s/mum’s programs, like mums’ retreats, home help, date nights, for example,” said Ms Toman, who has recently stood down as Chairwoman after ten years in the role. “The committee are mostly women and the true success of these