What are children’s braces?
Braces are a popular orthodontic treatment for straightening crooked or misaligned teeth and gums. They consist of a series of chips, wires, and brackets that constantly apply a small amount of pressure to your child’s teeth, slowly moving them into an upright position over time.
Braces can fix:
- Crooked or overcrowded teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Other jaw misalignments
Orthodontic braces can also be used in general to improve the appearance of your child’s smile. Your child can make their braces a fashion statement by choosing a fun color for the elastics or opting for gold accents.
Why should my child get braces?
Properly maintaining your child’s smile can have many benefits for their oral health, including:
• It is easy to clean the teeth and reduces their chances of tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease
• Chewing force is more distributed, reducing fatigue in their teeth
• Ability to communicate effectively
Braces improve your child’s smile, which can boost their confidence and boost their self-esteem.
When should my child get braces?
We recommend getting a consultation for braces when your child’s last baby tooth erupts, or around age seven. During this time, your child’s teeth and jawbone continue to grow, giving their orthodontist flexibility in treating their bone condition.
The sooner you start treatment, the easier it will be for your orthodontist to:
• Reduce overall processing time
• Guide the growth of teeth and permanent teeth
• Reduce the need for extraction
• Save spaces for unerupted teeth
• Allow more space for teeth to erupt and a full smile
• Create better facial expressions by changing the color tone
• Prevent or eliminate bad speech or swallowing problems
Starting treatment before your child’s teeth wear out also allows your orthodontist to spot and address issues before they have a chance to develop into complications. And treating conditions before they get more complicated saves you and your child time and money, not to mention better outcomes.
Contact Dr. April Lee at Burlingame Smile Studio we serve Burlingame, CA, Hillsborough, and Millbrae.
(650) 231-2680
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1740 Marco Polo Way Ste 12
Burlingame, California
94010
