Early Orthodontics With Braces For Kids
Dawsonville, GA
When Should My Child First See An Orthodontist?
Getting started is one of the most difficult aspects of childhood orthodontic care for many parents, and it’s common to wonder when is best for children to begin orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontic treatment for children focuses on establishing a healthy bite and overall alignment so that permanent teeth can grow into the proper position. Around the age of seven, children typically lose their baby teeth and begin receiving permanent molars and incisors, two critical types of teeth. Dr. Gass recommends that your child come in for their first visit around this age, per the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommendation. This enables our team to detect potential or future crowding, misalignment, or other orthodontic issues.
Benefits Of Getting Braces As A Child
Getting braces as a child is beneficial to overall oral health and can help establish good oral hygiene habits early. Some established benefits of braces can include:
- The bones of children are still developing, which means that braces have the potential to have a greater impact on the alignment of the teeth.
- Braces on a child’s teeth may be less obvious to an outside observer than those on an adult’s teeth.
- Since treatment starts at a young age, braces can help correct poor oral habits before they cause bigger issues.
- Having a properly aligned smile improves the ability to properly clean the teeth, helping to reduce the risk of tooth decay
Starting orthodontic treatment at a young age can prevent more severe dental issues from appearing later in life. Because of all these factors, the ideal time to get braces is typically when the patient is still a child.
The Right Orthodontist For Your Child
The orthodontist you choose should be someone you feel you can trust and who is willing to work with you to find the best solution for your child’s individual needs. At our practice, Dr. Gass takes a conservative approach to treatment, using the latest techniques and technology to minimize discomfort and ensure long-term results. He also prioritizes using the least invasive treatments possible.
As a one-doctor practice, your child will meet with Dr. Gass for all appointments. We believe that forming a personal connection with all patients, especially our younger patients, is key to giving your child the best orthodontic experience possible and delivering lasting, excellent results. We have found that the more our young patients are involved with their treatment process, the more likely they are to remain invested in maintaining their smile, even after treatment is complete.
At Lanier Orthodontics, we believe that straight teeth are important, but we also believe that healthy teeth are the foundation of a beautiful smile. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we can help your child achieve a lifetime of healthy smiles.
After-Care Instructions
After your child gets their new orthodontic appliance, it will take them a few days to get used to how it feels. However, your child won’t need much time to get used to wearing them. If your child is experiencing soreness, you can give them over-the-counter pain medicine for the first few days to help ease the discomfort. We also suggest using braces wax to cover any parts of their mouth that might be sensitive to the brackets.
We want you to help your child keep their mouth healthy while they are wearing braces. At first, it might be hard to brush around brackets and wires, so you will need to watch and maybe even help them get any food stuck behind their appliances. There are special tools you can buy that can help you get rid of food particles, but if you take good care of your teeth and brush them every day, you may not need them.
We suggest they spend a few extra minutes brushing and flossing their teeth daily to get rid of any stuck food or bacteria. As their guardian, it’s important to make sure they brush and floss their teeth at least twice a day to keep their braces in good shape and help them get the smile they want. However, Dr. Gass and our team spend time with your child, showing them how to properly brush and floss around their braces. We believe that establishing these oral health habits early is the best way to ensure their smiles remain bright long after treatment is complete!