When Is the Right Time for Kids to Get Orthodontic Braces?

Dentists recommend orthodontic braces to enhance the patient’s physical orofacial appearance. Orthodontic treatment is helpful for treating problems like crooked and crowded teeth, underbites, incorrect jaw position, and disorders of the jaw joints.

The optimal time for braces placement is between ten and 14 years when children’s head and mouth are in the developmental stages, and the teeth are conducive to straightening. However, it doesn’t mean older patients cannot receive orthodontic treatments with braces as it is currently noticed. More adults are now wearing braces to correct minor problems with their teeth and improve their smiles.

Adjustments to the facial appearance are traumatic for children during their developmental stages. Before having orthodontic braces applied, parents will do well to discuss the matter with children before taking them for orthodontic treatment in Bradford, ON.

What Kind of Orthodontic Braces Are Offered during the Treatment?

The Bradford dentist understands which orthodontic appliance works best for your child’s specific problem. Your child also has a choice when selecting orthodontic braces because three types of braces are generally available.

The most popular variety are brackets made from metal or plastic, attached to the teeth, and disliked by many people for their ungainly appearance. Your kid also has a choice of having lingual braces consisting of brackets attached to the back of the teeth and hidden from view. Bands are traditional, covering most of the teeth with metal and wrapping around the teeth. To move the teeth into the desired position, braces use wires.

How Long Must Your Child Wear Braces?

Several factors determine the duration of the treatment. If your child has a complicated bite problem or one with spacing issues and the age of the child, determine how long your child must wear the orthodontic braces. Most children requiring braces must wear them between 18 to 30 months. After removing the braces, the Bradford dentist recommends wearing a retainer for at least a few months or up to two years to align and set the tissues around the straightened teeth. Some patients are advised permanent retainers if they do not want their bite to shift back into its original position.

Is Treatment with Orthodontic Braces Uncomfortable?

When you begin orthodontic treatment for your child with braces, the interconnecting wires are tightened by the dentist offering the treatment during every visit. The tightening puts mild tension on the brackets or bands to continually shift the teeth or jaws into the desired position.

Your child will experience soreness in the teeth and jaws after each visit. However, the discomfort is mild and generally subsides within a couple of days. Before placing orthodontic braces on your child’s teeth, the Bradford dentist may recommend tooth extractions if your child has overcrowded teeth to make space for the teeth being shifted with the braces for proper jaw alignment.

How Do You Know Whether Your Child Needs Orthodontic Braces?

If you have a family dentist, the professional is responsible for coordinating your child’s orthodontic treatment, including creating personalized treatment plants, diagnosing, examining, and performing some orthodontic procedures.

Your family dentist may also refer you to orthodontic treatment from a specialist in Bradford if they feel your child will receive better treatment from a specialist trained in the progress, improvement, and inhibition of infringements of the teeth, bite, jaws, and associated facial abnormalities. If your dentist refers you and your child to an orthodontist, you must accept the suggestion as it is the best for your child during their developmental stages.

Unlike adults who dislike wearing braces because they find them ungainly, children may adopt a different view and believe braces are an initiation into adulthood. The appearance of orthodontic braces for children and adults is similar, and it is the belief that differs between the two.

Different varieties of orthodontic treatments are currently available to straighten teeth, not just for children but also adults. Some promote the appliances as teeth straightening devices without metal and wire brackets. They are the preferred variety chosen by adults seeking orthodontic treatments to correct mild to moderate issues with their teeth. However, the traditional orthodontic braces continue to maintain their standing as the best option available to straighten teeth and problems with the jaw effectively despite their ungainly appearance.