Children’s Orthodontic treatment
A well balanced and beautiful smile can significantly improve your child’s self confidence - this is why so many parents choose orthodontics for their children.
Straighter teeth, better smiles
Children usually have their orthodontics carried out when all their baby teeth have been lost and most children have comprehensive treatment with fixed appliances.
Sometimes our younger children need an early course of treatment called interceptive orthodontics. This type of treatment is used to correct problems that occur before all the baby teeth are lost and these early treatments are usually followed up with comprehensive treatment at a later date.
Comprehensive orthodontic treatment aims to straighten the teeth and place them in the optimum position within the face. This approach ensures the best possible smile for your child.
Children are ideally placed to have orthodontic treatment because their jaws are growing and their teeth move more easily than those of adults.
Avoiding complications later in life
Straighter teeth are easier to clean, which helps prevent tooth decay or gum problems, and correctly positioned teeth can help reduce the risk of trauma or excessive wear to the teeth.
Some children can benefit from growth modification treatments which do not work in adults. These types of treatment can sometimes be used as an alternative to orthodontic extractions or, in more severe cases, prevent the need for jaw surgery later in life.
We recommend that all children should be routinely assessed at around 10-11 years of age to see if they could benefit from orthodontic treatment.
Appliances we use
We routinely use removable, functional and standard fixed appliances in the treatment of children.
The exact appliances used will depend on the child’s individual needs and these will be discussed with you before making a final choice.
Most children are treated with metal fixed appliances but they can choose to have cosmetic fixed appliances or Invisalign ™ aligners.
The majority of patients will need retainers to stop the teeth moving once the braces are removed and these are provided as part of the treatment.
