Pediatric Orthodontics
The goal of orthodontic treatment for children is to improve their teeth while protecting the gums and jaw joints. When you hear the word orthodontics, you probably think instantly of braces. However, orthodontics is more than just braces. Orthodontic treatments are made up of both removable and fixed appliances.
- Fixed appliances include braces, fixed space maintainers, and any appliance attached to the teeth by bands.
- Removable orthodontic appliances include aligners, headgear, removable space maintainers, lip/cheek bumpers, and removable retainers.
Children With the Following Conditions May Benefit From Orthodontic Treatment:
- Crossbites: This happens when the tooth is too close to the cheek or tongue. Usually, closer than the corresponding tooth in that particular dental arch. It is a lateral misalignment of the dental arches.
- Overcrowding: This happens when your teeth have fun out of the room in your mouth. This causes them to press together and become misaligned.
- Underbite: It’s a dental condition characterized by bottom teeth that extend out past the upper front teeth.
- Spacing Issues: The opposite of overcrowding, spacing issues occur when there is too much room between teeth.
- Teeth not erupting in the correct order
- Missing teeth
Read our blog post to find out if your child may need orthodontics, you should schedule a consultation with our dentists as soon as you notice or suspect any of the above conditions. Sometimes, issues can be caused simply by baby teeth coming out too soon, accidents or bad habits like thumb sucking.
Pediatric Orthodontics FAQ
The ideal age for braces is between ages 10 and 14.
There are three stages. First, when braces are used to create space in the mouth. Second, the active corrective stage when braces are placed on the teeth. Third, the retention stage when braces are removed and teeth are monitored with the use of a retainer.
Orthodontics used to correct or improve tooth position using an appliance which cannot be removed by the patient.
No, usually treatment with braces begins once a child has lost all of his primary teeth.
In some situations, teeth can shift after braces are removed. However, teeth usually remain straight after braces.
Braces do come with some side effects such as: Mouth sores or soft tissue injuries Soreness in the gums and lips Difficulty cleaning teeth and gums Root resorption
No, sometimes when teeth are shifting into place they can feel loose, but this is normal and teeth will not actually loosen or be made weak by braces.
Yes, if your teeth shift again after the first set of braces is removed, you may need another set of braces.
Usually, dentists only need to use three to five sets of wires during braces treatment.
The wires used for braces are made from a combination of nickel and titanium called Nitinol.