Braces For Children: What You Need to Know!

Around a third of children around the world need orthodontics braces!

Most parents want their kids to have a beautiful sparkling smile when they grow up! A smile more like a Hollywood smile. Indeed, beautiful smiles come from healthy beautifully aligned teeth too!

If you are wondering: What is the best age to get braces for a child or whether should your 9 year old get braces….keep reading to find out your options for braces or orthodontic options.

If you are keen to give your child the smile they deserve despite their young age and to enhance their jaw growth in the best possible way..

The answer is: orthodontic braces.

Different types of braces are created to keep teeth in their right places or move them in the correct direction. They come in different forms, suitable for different age groups and each serve a different purpose. Of course, pediatric dentists and orthodontists suggest them based on the individual dental need of your child.

Here are 5 orthodontic treatment options you need to know about:

1. Preventive orthodontics

You might think that the best age for braces is 11 or 12, but that is not entirely correct. This might be the age of proper braces when all the baby teeth have fallen and been replaced by permanent teeth. However, as orthodontics is more than just arranging the teeth, there are preventive solutions that can be applied at an earlier age of 5 or 6 to help keep the jaw in places and prevent other dental problems. One of the most efficient and kids friendly preventive methods is Myobrace.

1. Myobraces:

Myobraces: This System is a no-braces approach that’s helps straighten the teeth and jaws at an early age when only some of the front permanent teeth of your child have appeared. Myobrace harnesses the power of growth and the muscles around the jaw to make sure of a favourable and beautiful outcome. Applying Myobrace is actually a preventive technique to help teeth and jaws grow as they should and in the correct order to give children a beautiful smile.

Myobrace is done through the use of a series of removable dental appliances that are worn for only 1-2 hours each day and overnight while sleeping and they don’t need to be worn during the day. When your child is 5-7 years of age, it is important to have the first consultation to make sure that your kid’s teeth are growing out straight as well as their jaw- its growing in the right direction.

If any problem is detected at an early age, it can be prevented or fixed in a very short time, where as if it becomes an orthodontics case at a later age, it will take minimum 2.5 to 4 years of active treatment for it to be fixed. A very unfavourable situation for the poor kid as they are navigating school and later college!

What Myobrace® treatment does:

• Corrects oral habits like thumb sucking and tongue thrusting
• Aligns the jaws
• Straightens the teeth
• Optimises facial development
• Improves overall health
• Promotes healthy eating habits

1. Comprehensive orthodontics

If your child is already past the point of having a preventive treatment, a pediatric dentist or an orthodontist will have to use more comprehensive methods to fix a smile and re-arrange the teeth.

4 options that an Orthodontist in Dubai will be recommending for treatment of your child’s teeth are:

2. Metal braces/Traditional braces: These are the traditional image of braces that first comes to mind when you hear about braces are made of metal brackets that are attached to each tooth. The fun thing is kids get to choose the color of elastics and they can change them according to their clothes! It definitely adds a dash of color and a component of newness!
3. Ceramic Braces: They work like metal braces, but they are made of a clear and transparent ceramic material. These are less visible and can be more popular with kids who are more into aesthetics and are shy or concerned about the metal in their mouth.
4. Lingual Braces: Lingual braces are another type of invisible braces that are placed at the back of the teeth and cannot be seen by others. As they are more difficult to clean, they are more suitable for older kids or even adults. They also need a much-prolonged time for getting used to.
5. Invisalign: Invisalign is a personalized treatment that is suitable for crowding, spacing and biting issues, using removable plastic aligners- it can be used to solve a variety of orthodontic problems.

Invisalign First is designed for young kids putting in mind their unique needs as a very young population. It is ideal for kids between 6 to 10 years of age as a Phase I treatment. This is an early intervention to address a problem in the making! This treatment option is gaining popularity amongst this pre-teen and teenage population.

Of course, it is up your best Pediatric Dentist in Dubai to suggest the best type of braces for your lovely child, and based on the many benefits of Invisalign, this easy solution is becoming more and more popular.

Benefits of Invisalign for kids

1. Invisaligns are removable and are meant to be taken out during teeth cleaning, allowing your child to brush his teeth in and out and reduce the risk of cavities.
2. Invisalign aligners should be removed for all meals. Meaning your child’s diet doesn’t have to change during the treatment.
3. Children and teens usually don’t want braces because of aesthetic reasons and having braces makes them self-conscious. Invisalign is almost invisible and your child will be more comfortable having them as compared to traditional braces.
4. Last, but not least, Invisalign is more comfortable and less painful for kids to wear.

Now that you know about all possible orthodontic options for your child, the advice is to bring in your kids for their first orthodontic consultation between the ages of 6 to 7 to identify problems way too early before they become real problems that affect the child within their teen hood and adulthood.

Hope this helped.

Do get in touch with your questions and share with us your experience.

So don’t delay your child his first Pediatric dentist visit, at our pediatric dentistry clinic in Dubai health care city you can schedule an appointment, we will be happy to give you your child the best dental care.

“To a lifetime of healthy happy smiles!”