With some kids, it can be clear early on whether or not they will need braces. Crooked teeth, dental crowding, gaps and missing teeth can all be signs that they will need orthodontic support to ensure they have a healthy, happy smile.
However, there is no specific age that children should get kids braces. Some children will need braces at age 8 while others may not need them until their teen years.
Many adults need braces as well as your oral structure can shift over time.
On average, most youth get braces between the ages of 7 and 14 years old — that's a pretty wide window!
While the age that your child may need braces at varied, the Canadian Dental Association recommends taking your child in for their first dental visit within 6 months of the eruption of their first tooth, which is often around the age of one.
This is a very exciting life moment for you and your little one! It is always an honour to us to support children in this moment by ensuring their oral health is in great condition, making way for more healthy teeth to come through.
Introducing your child to the dentist and good oral hygiene habits at such an early age can help create a very positive relationship with the dentist and prevent potential problems from developing down the road.
When the time comes that your child may need kids braces in Goose Bay, the positive association with the dentist can help make this process a lot smoother verses it being perceived as something very scary and unappealing.
The genetic blueprint of your ancestral dental health plays a very large role in determining your child's need for kids braces in St. John's.
With that in mind, there are a many ways to promote awesome dental health for your children and practice strong preventative dentistry.
This includes:
As kids braces dentist in Labrador City, Newfoundland, we can confirm that there is no written-in-stone answer to when your child may need braces.
However, encouraging healthy oral hygiene habits and a joyful association with the dentist can help set your child up for great oral health success!
Figuring out if your child needs braces, and which options that are best for them if they do need orthodontics, can be an overwhelming process! You want your child to feel confident when they smile and also make sure that there are no other underlying heath problems associated with their oral health.
The first step to knowing which braces are best for your child, is by bringing them in to have an assessment. This way, you will know if your child needs orthodontics in the first place, and if they do, then the dentist will go over all of the options available for your child's unique mouth and oral health.
Every child's mouth is different and special from the rest, and so the best treatment plan (which includes the treatment length and which braces are optimal for your child), will be unique to them...whether it is braces, invisalign or a retainer.
If your child needs braces, they may be hesitant to get them because they are worried and concerned about the process, which is understandable. At LOL Dental we want to ensure that you and your child feel confident about your oral health decisions.
We believe that getting dental braces should be a positive experience that is simple, comfortable and transparent. We are as detailed as possible in our explanations of when and how the braces will be used and their effects.
Here are some strategies to help overcome your child’s reluctance when it comes to braces.
The first thing to do is to ask your child why they do not want braces. You can help your child best when you know what the problem is. When talking with your child, remember to ask them in a non-confrontational way, so they will feel more at ease to discuss their concerns. Once you can find out their worries, then it is easier to address them.
One of the hesitations your child may have towards getting braces is that they are afraid it will hurt. Remind them that although there may be some discomfort initially, this will go away relativity fast and if needed, over-the-counter children’s pain medication can help to lessen this.
Sometimes a concern for children is the length of time the orthodontic treatment will take. Treatments generally take an average of 18 months with regular visits to the orthodontist approximately every 4-6 weeks. You can help your child to feel more confident in the timeline by tracking their advancement on a calendar, where they can easily see the treatment plan laid out. Another fun idea is to encourage your child to take and share photos of their progress!
Kids may also worry that they will look funny and awkward with braces. The advances that orthodontics has made in the past couple of decades have made many options available for our patients.
Big metal brackets are no longer the standard treatment and other options such as Invisalign, clear braces and coloured wires and bands help to make having braces an aesthetically pleasing event! It also might help to ease your child’s concern by starting their treatment over the summer, when they aren’t in school and seeing as many people.
Children are often concerned about what their peers will say about them and even making fun of them having braces. This is a valid concern for your child as bullying is a major problem in some schools. Talk to your child about other students, friends or teachers that may have had or currently have braces and encourage them to talk to those people about how they handled having braces, their experiences with them and the positive aspects that improved their smile and made it all worth it.
Remind your child that they are not the only one with braces and that many of their peers are going through the same treatment as them. It would also be a fun activity to look up celebrities that your child admires and to see if they had braces as a child as well! This will comfort your child in knowing that one of the people they admire went through the same process as them!
Your child's self-esteem can definitely be impacted by feeling insecure about their crooked smile, plus there are many benefits to having straight teeth and proper jaw alignment, such as:
Orthodontic problems can lead to wearing of the teeth, misalignment of the jaw joints, chewing issues, stress on your gums, and lack of support of to your teeth bones. All these can lead to headaches, facial, or neck pain. In the end, orthodontic treatment is far less costly than dealing with problems that may arise from a lack of orthodontic care.
Braces are used to correct tooth and jaw alignment and function. Different appliances can be used to apply slight pressure and gradually shift teeth to the right position.
Many orthodontists say kids should see an orthodontist once their permanent teeth start coming in, around age 7. At this age, issues such as uneven bite and overcrowding will become apparent. Starting the process early doesn't mean a child will get braces right away.
We offer kids braces at the following locations:
