What is the Right Time to Get Braces?

People with orthodontic problems decide to get braces at various points in their lives. Some choose to undergo the procedure in preteen and teenage years, while others wait until they are adults. Now, if you or someone close to you is having orthodontic problems, you must be wondering what is the right time to get braces?

First of all, patients can benefit from braces at nearly all ages, and it’s never too late to get them. But just in case you want to nail the perfect time, we have provided an answer to your question in the text below.

RIGHT TIME TO GET BRACES FOR CHILDREN

Most orthodontists agree that children and their need for braces should be evaluated by the age of seven. Still, this depends on the severity of your child’s dental problems. Deformities like excessive overcrowding of teeth, open bite, overbite, under-bite, and cross-bite require earlier intervention in which case the treatment is quicker.  But even if you have decided for later intervention, there is nothing to worry about since mostly everything can be treated.

If children have early dental issues, treatment starts between ages 6 to 10, in which case limited dental hardware is involved. Full braces can only be done when your child has fully grown adult teeth, which is usually at age 11 to 13. It is recommended to pay attention when your child loses his/her primary teeth since some kids may lose it sooner or later than others.

Before you start the process, you should be aware that most children are afraid of getting braces. You should be very patient with your child and explain that getting braces is perfectly normal and good for them. Tell them that there are numerous benefits of getting braces including future perfect smile and better health while they won’t stop them from doing any of their regular activities.

RIGHT TIME TO GET BRACES FOR ADULTS

Braces are not exclusive to children anymore and teeth can be aligned into a perfect smile at an older age as well. Benefits of getting braces for adults are numerous. Along with improving self-esteem and personal appearance, straight teeth also have health benefits. Crooked teeth contribute to quicker bone and tooth decay. Gums and jaw are also more likely to hurt from a bad bite, all of which can lead to severe headaches. With the improvement in medicine and technology, there is no reason not to get braces at an older age. The only difference between braces for children and teeth braces for adults is that children may wear braces few months less as their jawbones and teeth are still developing, so it is easier to fix crooked teeth.

TYPES OF BRACES FOR ADULTS

The metal braces, which were once the only option for teeth alignment, were keeping adults from getting an orthodontic treatment for a long time. Today, there are numerous types of invisible braces that get the job done, which caused great popularity of braces with the adults as well. Some of them are clear braces, ceramic braces, and lingual braces, which are done behind the teeth.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT WITH BRACES?

Now, you must be wondering what to expect with braces once you decide to get them. Well, children and adults wearing braces should expect regular visits to the orthodontist, usually every six to eight weeks. Orthodontists need to check progress regularly, give you extra rubber bands and adjust the braces so teeth move in the right direction. Most braces require you to manually change rubber bands which go on your upper and lower second molar. The process isn’t difficult and takes only a few minutes.

Braces will align your teeth and make them healthier, but this also means that you will have to give up on some food. Most braces are strong enough to hold well, but avoiding hard food such as apple or corn cob is desirable.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t eat an apple ever again, but slicing it to smaller pieces is a much better and safer way. You should avoid sticky and chewy candy like caramel, as it will easily get stuck behind braces and is hard to brush off.  With everything else you should be fine as you pay attention to regular dental care such as brushing teeth, flossing where possible and cleaning spaces between braces and teeth.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, every parent should take care of their children’s teeth. Getting an appointment with the orthodontist should be a priority, as they are specialists and will guide you step by step towards the treatment. No matter the severity of dental problems, everything can be fixed. Braces for children are nothing to be afraid of and will have a significant impact on the future of your children. Braces align teeth which results in healthier teeth and gums.

If you are an adult, you are still not late. Technology improvements and methods offer numerous braces for adults, some of which are practically invisible. Braces will not impact your daily life profoundly and after getting them off, you can expect perfectly aligned teeth which will bring you numerous benefits.