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When is it best to consider
braces for your child?
If children are experiencing serious dental problems at a young age, it is sometimes best to fit them with kids braces while they are still in a developmental stage. The younger the children are, the more they have to grow – this makes moulding their teeth with braces much easier.
For many, the best time to have braces is usually around 12 or 13 and they are just entering their teenage years. This is because their mouth and jaws are continuing to grow, making it easier to adapt them to new shapes.
What are braces for kids?
Braces “correct” a child’s teeth as they are growing in.
For instance, children may have problems with tooth crowding or an overbite/underbite, and kids braces can help to fix this before the problem gets worse with age. Children must have relatively healthy teeth and gums before having braces fitted, as they could suffer from tooth decay or gum disease if braces are fitted to unhealthy teeth.
What are teen braces?
Braces are designed to “correct” a teenager’s teeth in many different possible ways. For example, braces may straighten them for cosmetic reasons, or they may improve their tooth positioning so that they can eat more comfortably.
Teenagers need to have relatively healthy teeth and gums before having braces fitted, and braces tend to stay on from 18 months to 2 years. Additionally, teenager brace-wearers will have to visit the orthodontist every 6-8 weeks.
Is this the right treatment for my child?
If your child has crooked, crowded, or protruding teeth, then braces could significantly help them.
Similarly, braces can also help if your child’s teeth have large gaps between them or if their natural “bite” is misaligned, meaning that their top and bottom rows of teeth don’t meet in the middle as they should.
The younger children are, the easier it is to correct their dental problems. If a child’s misshapen teeth are left to grow in, the problem will often become much worse, making it more difficult to treat the issue when they are older.
How does treatment with braces work?
Invisalign effectively corrects the alignment of teeth for cases that aren’t too complicated. Most people don’t realise the individual is wearing anything on their teeth, which is the main advantage over traditional braces. The aligners can also be removed while eating or playing sports, and this appeals to many people, especially children.
Aligners are usually made of plastic, and can be taken out and put back in when necessary. The dentist or orthodontist will provide the patient with instructions regarding how often the aligners must be kept in place.
Fixed braces are usually made of metal, and are attached to your teeth permanently until they are removed at the end of the treatment period.
