Braces for Children and Teens – Scottsdale, AZ
Orthodontics for Children
While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends visiting the orthodontist around age seven.
By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, making it easier for the orthodontist to identify appropiate tooth and jaw problems sooner to determine suitable treatment timing.
Early treatment allows your orthodontist to:
- Correct and guide the growth of your child's jaws to help severe orthodontic problems
- Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
- Create more space for crowded teeth
- Possible avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
- Correct thumb and finger habits and help improve minor speech problems
For parents, it's not always easy to know if your child may need orthodontic treatment. We are the experts at helping our patients and their families with these decisions.
Here are a few things to look for that may mean your child needs to see an orthodontist:
- Early or late loss of baby teeth
- A hard time chewing or biting food
- Mouth breathing/ Snoring
- Finger or thumb sucking
- Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
- Jaws that hurt or make sounds when opening and closing
- Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
- Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face
- Crowded front teeth
Please feel free contact our practice to schedule an appointment for an orthodontic evaluation. A referral from your family or pediatric dentist is NOT necessary for a complementary evaluation.
Orthodontics for Teens
Braces, retainers, and everything else that you want to know about orthodontics!
You've just heard the words: “YOU NEED BRACES!”
Braces! What now?
Don't worry! Braces aren't nearly as scary as you may think. In fact, braces today come in a variety of styles, materials, and colors, making life with braces much easier, more comfortable, and even more stylish than in the past.
How long will I have to wear braces?
The amount of time it takes to treat your smile with braces depends on three key factors:
- Early treatment if indicated —Early treatment allows orthodontists to monitor the growth of the jaw and recommend further orthodontic treatment if it becomes necessary. Not everybody receives early orthodontic treatment; in most cases it will be recommended that a patient wait to receive treatment until the permanent teeth have erupted.
- What needs correction — The amount of treatment needed to correct a problem will determine how long the process takes. Different patients react to treatments differently. While it may take one patient only 12 months to complete treatment, it may take another patient 24 months. Treatment times can vary depending on how quickly your body responds and how much work is needed to give you a great smile.
- YOU! — Your willingness to use the appliances your orthodontist gives you plays a major role in the length of time it takes to complete your treatment. Always remember to take care of your braces and appliances; this truly will help make your treatment time shorter!
Braces Your Way!
Our practice offers a variety of braces, types and styles, to choose from. Some common options include:
- Clear braces
- Traditional braces
- Lingual braces
Orthodontic braces are a big part of life for many people of all ages. Today's braces make it easy to look good and feel good! Please contact our practice to schedule an appointment for a complementary evaluation to determine what options are available for your individual case.