Everything You Should Know About Braces For Kids

Orthodontic remedies for kids have developed into a norm and a needful manner through which kids should go if they have to get that best and wholesome set of teeth. You may have some questions and worries as a parent searching for orthodontic care for your child.

How to Find Out That Your Child May Need Braces

Common reasons children might require braces are misaligned teeth, widely spaced or crowded teeth, or an abnormal jaw, known as malocclusion. Malocclusion can be defined as a situation whereby one’s upper jaw is smaller or larger than the lower jaw. Symptoms of bad dental hygiene, such as delayed or early loss of milk teeth and biting or chewing problems amongst children, could also be seen as signs to warrant kids’s braces soon.

Right Age for Children to Have Braces

There is no right age for a child to get braces, but the typical age at which children undergo braces treatment is between the ages of 8 and 14. This is the age that most children have had all the baby teeth shed off, and about 90 percent of the permanent teeth have erupted. Nevertheless, the time for starting such treatment depends on the child and the severity of their orthodontic problems.

Types of Braces: Conventional and Contemporary

When people hear about orthodontic treatment, the first thing that most people will recall is traditional metallic braces that use metal brackets and wires. But, to the increasingly prevalent solutions come more discrete ones like ceramic braces or clear aligners like Invisalign.

What Do Braces Do?

Braces have several roles in mouth care, which all help correct the teeth’ positioning and bring them in a straight line.

Let’s look at the oral problems that can be treated using braces.

Correct Misalignment: Different kinds of dental problems can be corrected by braces depending on what type of misalignment is present.

This includes crowded teeth; overbite, which is where the upper teeth are located in front of the lower teeth by more than half; underbite, which is when the lower teeth are more advanced than the upper teeth; a crossbite, which is where the upper teeth and lower teeth are not correctly aligned to each other.

Orthodontic bands work slowly to reposition the teeth and eliminate these problems. The goal of treatment may range from influencing jaw growth to moving the teeth. Depending on the patient’s needs, the orthodontist or pediatric dentist develops a treatment plan for alignment.

Close Gaps: If some of the spacing between the teeth is more than others, braces can close these spaces because they exert a constant force, gradually drifting the teeth closer together.

Straighten Crooked Teeth: Both appliances apply fixed, constant force to tilted teeth to manipulate them into the proper alignment.

Improve Oral Health: Protruding, crowded, or rotated teeth can prevent appropriate cleaning using a toothbrush and dental floss, raising the chances of cavities and gum sicknesses.

Things to Consider

If a dentist has recommended that your child needs braces, do not be scared by myths. Below, we have mentioned a few things that will ensure that you talk to your child and orthodontist so that the two of you know what to expect.

1. The Goal of Treatment
The first item that you and the orthodontist will discuss is the objectives of the treatment. This is a break where the doctor will describe why braces are necessary and how they rectify the problems. The orthodontist will also set reference points where your child’s progress will be rechecked, which will be a continuing conversation. This is why your child must participate actively; they are the ones who will go through it. For successful braces, everyone must be on the same page on what will be achieved and expected.

2. Overall Health
There are some main points that your child’s orthodontist will consider: the overall state of your child, as well as the dental arcade of your child’s mouth. This will determine what type of braces your child will need to wear, how long they will need, and whether any additional orthopedic procedures are necessary.

• Age
  According to your dentist, your child should have braces while young. The situation with adults who need braces is worse: their teeth can be rotated, there can be problems with the blood supply in the tooth, and there can be bone loss in the jaw.
  Young bone is still developing, making it softer than adult bone; therefore, when an adult does this, the braces will only be more painful, and they may have to wear them longer.
• Oral Health
  Another primary consideration is your child’s oral health. Problems such as tartar deposits, dental caries, periodontal problems, tooth decay, toothache, chips or cracks in the tooth, and remaining milk teeth must all be considered. There will be more complicated cases that have to be addressed first before your child can get his/her braces.
• Tooth Extractions
  Another common recommendation from an orthodontist is that a child may need certain teeth removed before braces are applied. This is necessary in cases where a tooth is or is likely to become impacted, overcrowding or limited jaw space exists, baby teeth have not fallen out, or teeth emerging at angles that cannot be corrected otherwise.

Despite how uncomfortable these might be for your child, they should be taken to the doctor as early as possible.

3. Style of Braces

Your child’s orthodontist most likely gave suggestions about your child’s overall health, schedule, and pocket. In general, orthodontists prefer standard braces; however, other possibilities exist.

• Metal Braces
  Metal braces are the typical wire-and-bracket braces that most help associate with the terminology. Pediatric orthodontists most often recommend them since they are the most affordable and quickest way. They also do not need frequent adjustment and repair, which the child patient may need throughout therapy.
• Lingual Braces
  Lingual braces are the same as regular braces, only with the wires and brackets positioned at the back of your teeth, and they are invisible. Nonetheless, lingual braces are costly, difficult to brush, and worse, affecting the child’s speech. They are also more difficult to fix or realign should they break or become knocked out of alignment.

Non-visible braces – also known as Invisalign.
These are clear braces. Like a retainer, they are taken out and are invisible; for this reason, they are preferred over traditional metal braces. However, invisible aligners are the most expensive braces and are not usually advised in children as they are bound to be misplaced.

4. Commitment

Whenever you and your child are with the orthodontist to decide how to take action in a certain plan, everyone must understand what must happen for the particular plan to work. That means both you and your child need to come to an understanding of various factors, including:

• What foods will they need to steer clear
• How the braces should be cleaned
• For how long will they have to remain on it?
• How the chewed rubber bands should be worn
• How frequently do the brackets have to be tightened
• You might think this is a lot of information to remember, yet having this conversation will give your child something to look forward to.
• This is also the time to discuss what needs to be done when the braces are removed – things like retention, which can be daily or permanent.

Final Thoughts

If you take the time to walk your child through this guide, you can help your child be ready for the orthodontist and give them the best experience when they are getting braces. Contact Splendora Pediatric Dentist for more information.