Braces for Children

Why use Braces for Children?

During the process of teeth development in children, various problems may be encountered such as overcrowding, problems with tooth eruption, crooked teeth or cross-bite due to different upper and lower jaw sizes. This may cause malocclusion (misalignment) which can be effectively corrected with braces for children. Space maintainers may be required to maintain spaces between the teeth and help in teeth alignment so that later tooth extractions can be avoided.

How soon can you use Braces for Children?

According to the Australian Society of Orthodontics, children’s teeth should be assessed by an orthodontist at the time the adult teeth begin to appear, around the age of 6 to 7 years. By this age, your child’s teeth have developed enough to where subtle problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth can be assessed and treated early.

Braces are usually started between 9-14 years of age; however, some orthodontic problems are better addressed at an earlier age and may even prevent the need for braces or shorten the treatment time necessary later.

What are benefits of Braces for Children?

Some important benefits of Braces in Children:

• Guiding the eruption of permanent teeth into proper position
• Specially constructed braces can be used to discourage habits such as thumb sucking
• Helps with jaw expansion to accommodate emerging teeth
• Improved facial aesthetics
• Corrects bite problems
• Improves the child’s self-esteem

What are some conditions that can be treated with Braces for Children?

Some of the conditions that can be benefited with braces for children include:

• Cross bite
• Open bite
• Deep bite
• Crowding of teeth
• Wide gaps between teeth
• Teeth erupting in the wrong order