When should children get braces?

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Besides bringing aesthetics to the face, braces for children also help protect children from dental diseases. Performing braces for children early helps dentists have time to straighten teeth, increasing the chances of achieving an ideal bite and favorable treatment.

1. Should children get braces or not?

Chances are that the dentist is the first to point out your child's tooth problem, such as severely chipped, crowded, crooked or crossbite (protrusion / underbite), and decide Deciding when children should get braces. Therefore, you should start considering braces for children early if prescribed by a doctor. Most kids who need braces have it done by age 8 or 9 - when all of their permanent teeth have not come in and their jaws are still developing. If your child has a misaligned bite, it should be corrected before the first baby tooth is extracted. If left too late, this condition can cause the jawbone to grow disproportionately.

2. The risk of having to wear braces for children to suck their thumbs

Children who are still sucking or suckling when their permanent teeth start coming in are more likely to need braces. If the child is 5 years old or older, but the child has not yet been able to give up this habit, it can pull the adult teeth, causing the teeth to grow together or create an overbite situation - the front teeth protrude. However, this cause is not common, most bite problems (protrusion or underbite) are genetic.

3. The process of braces for children

The orthodontist will glue the brackets to the front of the teeth and connect them with an arch wire. After that, the child will have the braces adjusted or replaced every 4-6 weeks, so that the teeth are slowly pulled into the correct position. Children may also be required to wear:
Elastic (elastic string): Connects the upper teeth to the lower teeth for added pressure and precision. Orthodontic cap: A metal brace with brackets wrapped around the head, which pulls the front teeth back. After braces are removed, most children will need to wear a retainer, a removable, custom type of bracket that holds the teeth in place until the wisdom teeth come in and the jaw stops growing. development, about 18 or 19 years old. Some adults may also need to continue wearing this retainer 1 day/week.

4. Are braces painful?

Braces for children today will be much less painful than in the past. Decades ago, dentists needed to glue brackets to the front of teeth to relieve the pressure of the metal wires around each tooth. Today, orthodontic braces are used more flexibly, especially those made of alloys, such as titanium nickel, which provide gentler pressure.
However, more modern technology still does not mean that braces are completely painless. Most children experience pain for 1-2 days after the braces are tightened. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, often work to ease discomfort. If the gums or cheeks are irritated by rubbing against the bracket, the orthodontist can provide lubricating and softening wax for the tissues to heal.

5. Time and cost of braces for children

In addition to when children should get braces, time and cost are the two most common questions that orthodontists receive from parents of children preparing for braces. Of course the answer will be different for each patient, but most children will wear braces for 1-3 years. Costs range from a few tens of millions to about 100 million Vietnamese dong, depending on the duration, quality and complexity of the treatment.
At the initial consultation, the orthodontist will perform a thorough examination of the child's teeth and jaw through X-rays and taking bite marks. Based on that, the dentist will come up with the best course of treatment and estimate the cost. Ultimately, how long a child's braces last may depend on the child's cooperation, such as whether he is willing to wear an orthodontic cap or Elastic band when needed.

6. How to find a good dentist?

You can refer to a family doctor's recommendation, or friends and relatives whose children have braces. Then, make an appointment for a consultation with a clinic that has a convenient address and working hours. Do not hesitate to consult many places. Pay attention to how the orthodontist interacts with your child. Children will be more obedient to instructions if they like the treating doctor.
Department of Odonto-Stomatology - International General Hospital is an address for dental care for young children trusted by parents. Accordingly, now to improve service quality, Vinmec offers customers a new generation of orthodontic braces with many outstanding advantages as follows:
Solid metal braces, shortening adjustment time. treatment than other types of braces. Treatment is not too complicated and very cost-effective. The bracket is easy to replace when it comes off. With enthusiasm and love for the profession, the team of dentists at Vinmec Department of Odonto-Stomatology always gives customers the highest quality of service, not only ensuring aesthetics but also absolute safety for children. In addition, Vinmec is currently cooperating with leading experts both at home and abroad to diagnose, treat, and bring the best medical examination and treatment results to customers. In addition, the support from modern equipment, sterile examination and treatment space, application of anesthetic measures to relieve pain help patients feel comfortable when visiting without any side effects from drugs.
Parents can directly bring their children to Vinmec hospitals nationwide or register for an online examination.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: .babycenter.com