Thankfully the days of waiting for all the adult teeth to come through before braces begin are over. In the past, we have had to stand by and watch young children mature with all types of tooth and jaw alignment problems.

Now, thanks to new technology and research that shows the long-term benefits of early treatment, there is a lot that we can do to help the developing teeth and jaws.

Why do I need it?
Early treatment is aimed at encouraging adult teeth to come through in better positions to lesson the amount of work needed at an older age. Also, it will reduce any damage the teeth may suffer because of their crooked positions. For example, prominent teeth can easily be bumped and teeth that on the edges of other teeth can quickly wear away.

When should we start?
If Dr. Barber has recommended early braces treatment for your child she will usually begin this after the four front teeth have come through. This is usually at about 8 to 9 years of age. The most common problems are crooked or overlapping teeth, large gaps between front teeth and top teeth that bite on the edge of or inside the bottom teeth.

What will be needed?
The type of correction needed will determine the type of braces fitted for your child. Usually there are small square silver (brackets) attached to the surface of the front teeth and sometimes a band around the six year old molars at the back of the mouth. A special wire is connected between the brackets and bands to do the work of moving the teeth. This will probably take around 6 to 12 months and we will see you for adjustments over this time.

After the front teeth are straight Dr. Barber will remove the braces and make a retainer to protect that super smile! Initially this will be worn full-time (day and night) but later on it will just be needed at nights. New teeth will still be able to come down while the retainer is being worn.

What’s next?
It may be a few months or years before we expect to see all the adult teeth in place and we will make arrangements to see you for regular no-charge reviews over this time. It’s more than likely that a second stage of work will be needed at around age 12 to 13, but you’ll already have a head start on that winning smile and be looking forward to the best teeth possible.

For more information on children’s orthodontic treatment, please click here to contact us today.

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