Does your child feel self-conscious about their smile? Having straight teeth can benefit their self-confidence, appearance, and oral health.
The number of patients with braces has increased by over 40% in the last decade. Not all of them are adults, though.
What is the best age for braces, and what options are available for your child? Read on to find out!
What Is the Best Age for Braces?
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children receive an orthodontic evaluation by age 7. This evaluation allows an orthodontist dentist to check:
- The shape of their jaw
- How their top and bottom teeth meet
- The position of their teeth
However, many children don’t need treatment at this age. Their orthodontist dentist may recommend early intervention or growth modification instead.
Treating your child’s orthodontic issues while they’re young could shorten the duration of future orthodontic treatments. This could even prevent the need for braces.
Most adolescents begin orthodontic treatment around the age of 11 or 12. By then, most of their baby teeth are gone and replaced by permanent teeth.
However, there’s a wide variation in when teeth erupt. Some children don’t require treatment until later.
Ideally, your child should begin treatment while they’re in adolescence. During this time, their body is growing and developing. Their bones and ligaments are more malleable.
This makes it easier for braces to adjust the position of your child’s teeth or reshape their jaw.
Consult your child’s dentist or Austin orthodontist. They’ll help you determine the best time for your child to begin treatment. They can develop a customized treatment plan based on your child’s oral health needs.
The Benefits of Early Orthodontic Treatment
Having straight teeth won’t only benefit your child’s appearance. Here are a few benefits of early orthodontic treatment to consider.
Avoid Complications
Early orthodontic treatment can fix your child’s alignment issues before they become life-long problems. An orthodontist dentist will recognize if there are critical problems with your child’s mouth or jaw. Catching these issues early could help your child avoid surgery or complications.
If your child doesn’t need immediate treatment, the orthodontist will keep track of their development. They’ll ensure your child’s teeth and jaw stay in alignment.
Healthy Self-Esteem
Crooked teeth or malocclusion (misalignment or “bad bite”) can affect your child’s self-esteem. About 15% of the adult population experiences negative social perceptions and functional difficulties due to malocclusions. A misalignment now could affect your child’s self-confidence as an adult.
Otherwise, your child could develop negative feelings about their smile. They may hide their teeth when smiling or stop smiling altogether.
Smiling promotes serotonin production. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects the mood. It helps the body relax while reducing physical pain.
Smiling attracts people to us. It makes us appear more confident.
These people are more likely to receive promotions or be approached. Smiling can benefit your child’s social life and career.
Improving their smile now can boost their self-esteem later. It could set them up for lasting success as an adult.
Speech
Your child’s misaligned teeth or jaw could cause speech difficulties. They could mispronounce words, slur, or develop a lisp.
Orthodontic treatment can help improve your child’s speech. Otherwise, these issues can further affect their self-esteem. Correcting their alignment issues now can keep the problem from following them into adulthood.
Reduced Risk
It’s more difficult to brush and floss crooked teeth. Your child will have an easier time maintaining good oral health with straight teeth. Otherwise, they may develop tooth decay or gum disease.
While crooked teeth don’t pose a serious health risk, they can lead to future complications. For example, your child may grind their teeth at night. Grinding (bruxism) can cause protective tooth enamel to deteriorate.
Your child’s risk of tooth decay will further increase. Braces combined with preventative dentistry can protect their smile.
Improved Digestion
Crooked teeth can make it more difficult for your child to chew food into smaller pieces. This can cause digestive issues, including acid reflux and stomach aches.
Straightening their teeth with braces can improve their digestion. Your child will receive the nutrients they need from a balanced diet.
How Long Does Treatment Take?
On average, treatment with braces takes between one and three years. Your child may need them for longer or shorter based on:
- How crooked their teeth are
- Their bite type
- The types of braces used
- Additional orthodontic tools used
- Their diet
- Their lifestyle
Treating misaligned teeth with braces is faster than treating a bite issue. These issues include open, deep, cross, and underbites.
Different types of braces include metal, clear, and lingual braces. When people imagine braces, they’re often picturing traditional metal braces. These braces use metal brackets and wires to align teeth.
Clear aligners are removable, plastic-like trays. These are an ideal alternative to traditional metal braces for teens.
Your teen may feel less self-conscious wearing the nearly invisible trays. However, choosing aligners could extend their treatment plan. If your teen doesn’t wear their trays for 20 to 22 hours a day, it could cause a delay.
Your child will need to follow their orthodontist’s advice. For example, they’ll need to adjust their diet and lifestyle.
If they eat crunchy, hard, or sticky foods, it could damage their braces. If they fail to visit their orthodontist regularly, they won’t receive adjustments. Both situations could extend their treatment plan.
When Is It Too Late to See an Orthodontic Dentist?
Patients can begin orthodontic treatment at any age. However, adolescence is more common, while a patient’s teeth and jaws are still malleable.
About 80% of American teenagers are currently receiving orthodontic treatment. About 25% of all patients who wear braces are adults. It’s never too late for you or your child to get straight teeth!
Talk to Your Orthodontic Dentist About Braces
To recap, what is the best age for braces? Many patients begin treatment at age 11 or 12. However, they should visit their orthodontist before then for a consultation.
The best orthodontists in Austin are here to help you and your child! At Sing Orthodontics, we offer free consultations and same-day treatments to cut down on office visits.
Rely on our personalized attention, smile guarantee, and premier providers. Choose a location to schedule a consultation appointment.
