Child Braces Information

• Child Braces Sooner Than Later
  Some parents want to wait before getting their child braces. Waiting until all the permanent teeth have come in, or until facial growth is nearly finished could make correction more difficult. Regrettably, your child’s teeth will not straighten out as growth occurs. The space available for the permanent front teeth does not increase as one grows. For most people, after the permanent molars come in around age 12, there is even less space available for the front teeth. Untreated orthodontic problems can become worse, and more difficult to treat as a child gets older. Untreated problems may lead to tooth decay, gum disease, broken front teeth and loss of bone tissue that holds teeth in place. An orthodontic evaluation at Success Smiles Orthodontics by the time a child is 7 years old is recommended and getting child braces depends on the severity and the cause of misalignment of the child’s teeth. There is no “right” chronological age for orthodontic treatment with child braces. Some patients may require tooth movement only, while others may need help with guiding the growth of the jaws, or to correct abnormal swallowing or to correct a sucking habit. The orthodontist at Success Smiles Orthodontics can advise parents on the best treatment.
• Advantages of Child Braces
  There are many advantages for getting child braces. The first benefit is to create more space for crowded, crooked or misplaced teeth to erupt. Early interceptive orthodontics makes it easier to address problems like crowding before the permanent teeth grow in and the jaw is expanded to make room through the gums. The tooth movement brings changes to the overall appearance of the face and has a positive impact on the bite and alignment of the teeth and jaws and improves facial symmetry. Also, overbite and gaps between teeth can be corrected with child braces and correct tongue placement and speech obstruction resolution. Child braces can take care of protruding teeth problems which may result in the damage or loss of their front teeth. Early orthodontic treatment with child braces at Success Smiles Orthodontics can also help with difficulty in eating, chewing, biting, and breathing.
• Steps to Child Braces
  When a decision is made to get child braces there are steps taken to make sure your child feels safe and comfortable. X-rays are taken so the orthodontist can easily see placement of teeth and jaw structure. A mold, or impression, of the mouth is made so the orthodontist can see what the intricacies of the mouth look like and what they are working with. At Success Smiles Orthodontics, a scanner and printer are used to make this process more palpable and quick. Spacers are placed between the molars to create the space that is needed to put on the child braces. Once the child braces have been attached, the orthodontist will require periodic visits over roughly 2 years to determine if the treatment is progressing as needed. Most children are nervous and excited to see how their mouth looks and feels without the braces. Of course, the teeth will be straight and beautiful but some kids may see some white spots on their teeth or staining tha thas occurred during treatment. This is usually just natural staining of the enamel, and it is nothing to be worried about because it usually fades and evens out naturally after a short amount of time. Sometimes orthodontists create retainers for the child to wear every night for a least a few years to keep the teeth from shifting back to their original place.