Children With Braces: What Are The Recommendations? – Being Parents

This is why we see more and more children with dental braces, since it aims to give rise to a symmetrical dentition, to correct functional problems or to improve oral aesthetics. However, we recommend that you use it when all of your child’s teeth have grown.

Specialists recommend that the first dental checks in children be performed at age 7, when the molars and incisors have already grown and their position is easier to assess. If any defect is observed, then this will be the time to initiate treatment; children with braces must visit the orthodontist frequently to obtain satisfactory results.

Dental health is of great importance. In fact, few people are fortunate enough to have good natural teeth, which is why the majority require orthodontic treatment.

However, the most common questions parents, and maybe you too, ask themselves are: when to have braces? What does orthodontic treatment require?

When to use braces?

If from an early age, we can begin to consider orthodontic treatments , the most recommended is nevertheless to do it when most of the teeth have grown; in other words, between 9 and 12 years old.

However, some younger children may also wear braces. This is usually due to different factors in your children such as crossbite, genetic problems with the palate, use of pacifiers, or thumb sucking.

What is the dental appliance used for?

The dental appliance has at least 3 fundamental objectives:

• Find symmetry of the dentition
• Correct functional problems
• Improve the physical or aesthetic aspect of the mouth

Recently, it was concluded that oral health affects the well-being of the whole organism. This is why preventive and corrective dental treatments have evolved.

In addition, parents’ awareness has made it possible to put dental braces on more children. Thus, we can prevent them from having low self-esteem, improving their appearance and future health.

When dental abnormalities are taken care of at an early age, troublesome and very expensive processes in the future are avoided, as well as the possible resort to surgery. During childhood, it will therefore be easier to reorder and correct the position of the dentition, since the child is at the beginning of his development and will be more docile.

The dental appliance according to the defect to be corrected

Medical innovations have reached dental treatments. Currently, there are various types of appliances recommended depending on the conditions under which children need orthodontics. There is even interceptive orthodontics, which is applied even if your child does not yet have all of their teeth.

There are 2 types of instruments used to correct dental malformations: fixed dental appliances and removable dental appliances.

Fixed dental appliances

These devices adhere to the teeth and some are now very popular, such as braces. These allow the teeth to be redirected until they find the correct symmetry and alignment; others aim to correct bad habits.

Removable dental appliances

They can be handled by the people who wear them. Lightweight, they hang on thanks to a small hook placed at the molars. Their use is very specific, and the result will depend on the time during which the children wear them.

What is interesting is that technological advances and the medicines applied by orthodontists have made it possible to make these devices lighter, of better quality, easier to wear and safer. Often, they go unnoticed because of their design.

What does orthodontic treatment require?

Your specialist doctor will need to perform certain tests, including a maxillofacial or panoramic x-ray. Thus, he will be able to determine where the problem comes from and choose the best treatment according to the case of each child.

Recommendations for children with braces

You can take these rules into account to make life easier for your children who wear dental braces:

• In the case of removable braces, the child should always have a case with him or put it away while he eats
• Both oral hygiene and tooth brushing will be fundamental, as well as the delicate or thorough cleaning of the device.
• Regular check-ups are necessary so as not to delay the progress of your child’s treatment.

Following these recommendations can prevent the child from having to resort to orthodontics more than necessary. Thus, the doctor will be able to make greater adjustments at each appointment with the resulting physical discomfort, especially in the case of bands.

Keep in mind that crossbite issues as well as others related to teething are more common than you might think.  It may even affect your child’s way of speaking, chewing and breathing.

Don’t take all this lightly: take your children to the orthodontist to start taking care of their health on all levels.