Dental braces are an integral part of modern orthodontic care, mainly because they’ve proven effective in correcting malocclusion and bite complications. If these problems aren’t fixed immediately, they can lead to severe complications like tooth loss, gum disease, and jaw problems. When is the best time for dental braces? This question addresses this and related concerns.
Is There an Ideal Age for Getting Dental Braces?
You are likely to see a teen or a pre-teen wearing dental braces if you look around. The high number of children and teenagers with dental braces has created the notion that braces are only ideal for young people. While adolescence may be the perfect time for dental braces, you need to understand that braces are part of orthodontic care, which is flexible and responsive.
Dental braces can straighten teeth and correct bites and spacing problems in people of different ages. There’s no fixed age bracket for getting dental braces, and your dentist may recommend braces for you regardless of your stage of life. However, there are benefits of getting dental braces at certain stages of life.
Why Early Adolescence is the Ideal Age for
Children between 10 and 14 years of age are considered suitable candidates for dental braces because they’ve already developed all or almost all of their adult teeth, and their jawbones are soft and responsive to bending and repositioning. However, the exact stage of life that your teenage child gets dental braces depends on two major factors: the kind of treatment needed and the number of teeth that have erupted.
Dental braces are only effective if your child has lost their baby teeth and developed almost all adult teeth. Wait until your child develops their second molars to give them braces. These molars typically erupt when a child is between 11 and 14 years old.
The decision to give your child dental braces should be made well before they reach the ideal age for braces, preferably when they are seven years old. A professional orthodontist should make this decision after a thorough examination. This will help fix minor problems like spacing and misalignment. Once these issues have been addressed, the second phase of treatment is more effective.