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Is There An Age Limit For Getting Braces?

By Rey Vetangelo


There's no denying that childhood is the ideal time for getting braces. For many people it's a rite of passage: a mouthful of wires is all part of the growing up process.

Seven is a great age for kids (or, rather their parents) to start thinking about orthodontics. This is because kids start losing their teeth around age five and generally have a full mouth of grown-up teeth by thirteen. At around age seven, most kids start to grow their molars - which guide everything else in their mouth. Those molars are the map for your kid's mouth and orthodontists can use them to predict upcoming tooth and jaw growth.

At the age of 7-11, a kid's mouth will be full of growing action. Some take a little longer, but generally speaking, between the ages of 7-11, kid's mouths are very accepting of outside influence. Orthodontists like to call this 7-11 year old phase, "Phase I."

Many types of toothpaste are also made specifically for children. These come in different flavors and colors as well and will be more appealing to a child than the strong, minty adult flavors. There is some debate about whether you should buy fluorinated toothpaste for your child or not.

Braces are extremely versatile: they can move individual teeth in various directions, closing gaps and creating more space all at once. Essentially, braces apply pressure to your teeth, slowly moving them over the course of several years. The root of the tooth presses up against the underlying alveolar bone, and over time the alveolar bone dissolves at the point of contact, allowing the root to move into place. At the same time, new bone is built up in the empty space where the root used to be.

There are several primary benefits to treating your child's mouth early on. As mentioned above, Phase I treatment can reduce or even eliminate the time and money needed later on in life for more serious orthodontia fixes. This also reduces the pain your child will experience as a result of spacers, braces, pulled-teeth, and other permanent procedures. Under the careful monitoring of your Draper dentist, from the beginning, your child's teeth will be guided and set to provide an aesthetically pleasing smile (and face), full-function for chewing, speaking, and breathing, and improve oral health.

It's important to remember a few things if you're considering getting braces as an adult. First of all, your bones have stopped growing, and they're much more rigidly in place than they were when you were 11. You'll have to wear your braces longer: an average of two years for adults. You will probably have to see a periodontist (in addition to your regular dentist and orthodontist), who will be able to see if there are any problems with bone loss or bone density.

Moral of the Story The conclusion is clear: send your child to your Draper dentist starting at the age of 7, and you will be able to give your child a beautiful, healthy smile at minimal financial and physical cost!




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