A beautifully-aligned smile is easier to take care of, looks healthy, and can substantially improve a person’s confidence. Today, we’re looking specifically at children’s orthodontics and how treating problems like spacing, crowding, misalignment and bite issues can benefit children for life.
Thankfully, children’s brace options today are significantly less invasive and more cosmetically-friendly than in the past. Here at 92 Dental, we have multiple brace options for children and teens, and treatment is always tailored to their unique needs.
Why Orthodontic Treatment is Beneficial at an Early Age
Dental literature has reported that more than half of all 12-year-olds would benefit from getting braces to correct structural problems with their smiles. You should endeavour to bring your child along for an orthodontic check-up just after their baby teeth have fallen out and their adult teeth start to emerge.
One of the reasons timing is critical is that before your child’s adult teeth have set in place, we can move them more easily without placing extreme pressure on the jaw area. A few other reasons for children to have orthodontics treatment when they are young include:
- Better prognosis: examining a child’s teeth will give us an early forecast of how their adult teeth may erupt.
- Bite correction: a healthy bite underpins a healthy mouth. Left untreated, a bad bite can go on to cause grinding problems (wearing teeth down over time) and render teeth more prone to injury. A healthy bite also gives way to a symmetrical smile.
- Long term oral health and hygiene: a poorly-aligned smile can present problems with brushing and flossing. Suppose your child has overlapping, crowded or widely spaced teeth. In that case, this can cause oral hygiene problems, as the unnatural gaps become the ideal setting for bacteria to multiply and cause gum disease. Orthodontic treatment is a long-term investment into your child’s oral hygiene and dental health.
- Increased confidence: one of the most apparent benefits of braces is the cosmetic changes they can yield, helping patients to feel more confident in themselves. We all know the school playground can be challenging for some children, especially if their smile looks different to their peers’. Orthodontic treatment can help children to fit in and find their way as they grow older.
- Create more room in the mouth: erupting adult teeth that are crowded or overlapping can get in the way of other teeth erupting, which can become a source of daily discomfort for your child. Braces can help correct this and allow your child to live each day pain-free.
What Kind of Braces Do 92 Dental Offer?
Here at 92 Dental, we offer several brace options to suit children.
Invisalign Teen®
You may have heard of the Invisalign® clear aligner system, a state-of-the-art removable treatment that’s become globally popular over the last couple of decades. As well as having a specific aligner system that’s suited to adults (known simply as ‘Invisalign®’), there is also Invisalign Teen®. As the name suggests, this is a treatment uniquely for younger patients.
Invisalign Teen® has been endorsed by many teenage celebrities in the past, including Niall Horan, Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish, who even mentions her Invisalign® aligners in a music video! If you find yourself needing to remind your child of why they’re having their teeth straightened, the ‘celebrities your age have Invisalign®’ angle could be worth a shot!
The Invisalign system allows your child to brush and floss as usual, as they’re able to remove the aligners for several hours each day. Whilst this is an excellent benefit of this treatment, if you think your child may require discipline in their treatment, fixed braces are a favourable option, limiting the possibility of them losing aligners or forgetting to put them back in.
Fixed Braces (Train Tracks)
Fixed brace models have stood the test of time. After many years in existence, the mechanics of fixed braces haven’t changed much, as they’re highly effective in treating various problems, ranging from moderate to severe. Thanks to emerging technology, the fixed braces are more comfortable than ever, which is especially important where children are concerned, as the treatment period can often take up to 2 years.
The precision with which fixed metal braces move teeth is also notable – they produce highly predictable results. This is one of the principal reasons fixed braces remain the most common brace for correcting orthodontic ailments in children.
Clear Ceramic Fixed Braces
A more aesthetic version of their metal counterparts, clear ceramic braces work in the same way as fixed metal braces but incorporate a more discreet design. Whilst they are more prone to damage than metal braces, they can prove to be very suitable for children who are concerned about how their smile will look during treatment.
The ceramic material is a close match for natural tooth enamel, and the wires used will match your child’s exact tooth shade. Ceramic braces are versatile, addressing various issues. However, in cases where there are severe structural problems with a child’s bite, we may recommend traditional metal braces to be the best option.
Lingual Braces
Often referred to as ‘barely visible’ braces, lingual braces are different from conventional brace models, sitting on the tongue side, completely out of view. This brace system is ideal if your child is particularly concerned about wearing braces around their friends or if they have a special event like yearbook photos or an end of year school event on the horizon.
Lingual braces are generally more suited to teenagers, as younger patients’ teeth often aren’t long enough to accommodate the brackets, which bond to the back of each tooth. We use the Incognito® system, a market-leader in lingual brace technology.
Why Choose 92 Dental for Your Child’s Orthodontic Treatment?
Here at 92 Dental, we are vastly experienced in working with children and are passionate about offering encouragement throughout various treatment stages. We understand it can be difficult for kids and young people to persevere with wearing braces, which is why we’ll always strive to inspire them and educate them about the benefits.
We’re very lucky to have Gavin Mack here at the practice, a specialist orthodontist with over 22 years of experience. Gavin has treated and supervised over 3,000 complex orthodontic cases and works as a consultant in a teaching hospital, helping professionals attain an expert level of knowledge in this field. Your child is in great hands with Gavin.
If you would like to book your child in for an orthodontic consultation here at 92 Dental, please contact us at your convenience on 020 8748 1381. We also offer FREE appointments with our treatment coordinator, who can outline the benefits of the braces we offer in detail, and answer any questions you might have.
If your child is a new patient who you registered with us, please use our new patient telephone number, which you can find here. We look forward to your visit.
