Everything You Need to Know About Braces

Many kids feel worried about having braces, thinking about what they will look like or feel. But regardless of what your child feels, you may have some concerns and questions on this orthodontic device.

Below are some important information you should know about kids and braces.

Why are Braces Necessary for Children?

Children may need to wear braces for a number of reason:

·         Overlapping teeth

·         Crooked teeth

·         Malocclusion

·         Overcrowded teeth

Malocclusion is one of the most common reasons for needing braces. This happens when there’s a difference between the sizes of the jaws. In some cases, jaw and teeth problems can be due to accidents, excessive thumb sucking and losing baby teeth too early. When the lower jaw is larger than the upper jaw, it is called an underbite. When the upper jaw is more prominent than the lower jaw, it is called an overbite.

Your pediatric dentist will be the first to see these problems and may advice to see an orthodontist – a dentist whose expertise is in fixing teeth alignment issues. The orthodontist will decide if your child will need braces or not.

Many orthodontist suggest seeing an orthodontist when the permanent teeth begin to emerge, usually at around the age of 7 as dental issues like overcrowding or uneven bite become noticeable. Seeing an orthodontist this early does not mean that your child will get braces immediately. It means that he’ll be able to identify the problem and be able to decide the best course of treatment.

What to Expect from the First Orthodontist Visit

During your first visit, the dentist will carefully check the mouth, teeth and jaw. He may examine your child’s bite and ask questions about issues with swallowing, chewing and talking, or know if there’s popping or clicking of the jaw.

The orthodontist may request for X-ray procedure on the oral cavity and the jaw to check the teeth positions. The dentist will make an impression of the child’s teeth using a small container with sticky material. When the material is removed and harden, a replica of the child’s teeth is produced and this allows the orthodontist to choose the best treatment option.

Different Types of Braces

Braces can fix misalignment by placing steady pressure on the teeth. The teeth gradually moves into a straighter, aligned position. Braces for children comes with wires, rubber bands and brackets. The brackets are individually glued to the teeth and are secured with rubber bands or wire. The rubber band come in many different colors that kids can choose. The wire is tightened slowly over time until the teeth becomes aligned.

Metal braces are still used nowadays but there are other options such as clear ceramic braces. Some choose to place it behind the teeth.

Once the braces are attached, your child should visit the dentist every month for adjustments and monitoring. The duration your child will wear them depends on the severity of the condition but the average time is about 2 years. After that, your child will wear retainer, which is a small, strong plastic with metal wires that looks like a mouthguard. Retainers are necessary to keep teeth in place.

How to Care Your Braces

Since food gets easily stuck on metal braces, children wearing them must be extra careful on the food they eat as well as maintaining their teeth clean. Regular tooth brushing and daily flossing are necessary. Your orthodontist will recommend a special floss you can use for braces.

Your child should also refrain from eating certain foods such as gum, popcorn and sticky or hard candy as these food items can potentially damage braces.

Braces can be uncomfortable to wear, particularly when the dentists make adjustments. Having soft diet and taking pain reliever help ease the pain. Visit your dentist if the child has a loose bracket or wire, or if it is poking his/her mouth.

What You Should Know About Retainer for Kids

You have probably seen a kid taking out his retainer before taking his snack, and carefully placed it in a container to ensure it is safe while he eat. You wonder why this small plastic mouthpiece is important to him. Let us find out.

What is a Retainer?

A retainer is an orthodontic device that is made from metal and plastic and is custom-fitted for each child or adult who needs one. It perfectly fits the mouth and the top of the teeth. Retainers are very common because most people who wore braces need to wear a retainer for a little while after removing their braces. Other people use them to close tooth gaps, help with certain speech problems or to resolve other dental problems.

Why Should I Wear a Retainer?

There are several reasons for wearing a retainer. The most common is to help maintain the new position of your teeth after wearing braces. It is necessary to wear a retainer because as you grow, your teeth also move and tend to shift to another position. Retainer help ‘retain’ their position and prevent shifting, which happens naturally.

Once your braces are taken off, your dentist will fit your for a retainer. There is a certain time and duration of wearing it and the dentist will tell you how long to wear it. Some kids wear their retainer for more than a year.

Other children may wear retainers to close a tooth gap or space or simply to move one tooth. In this case, there is no need for braces as retainers can do the job. To close a space, retainers are usually worn for several years. When you wear a retainer, certain teeth feel pressure and could feel sore for the first several days. If you are experiencing discomfort, there is no need to worry as it is completely normal.

Crib or tongue-cage retainer

Retainers can also health a number of mouth problems aside from the moving of teeth. In some cases, they are used to help a medical problem such as tongue thrust – a condition where the tongue sneaks through the teeth when you’re talking. A type of retainer called tongue cage or crib retainer is designed with tiny metal bars that are hanging down from the roof of the mouth. This will keep the tongue from thrusting forward in between the teeth when speaking. In this way, your tongue will get used to position at the roof of the mouth rather than through your teeth. The duration a child wears tongue cage varies depending on the child.

Another use of retainer is to alleviate temporomandibular disorder (TMD). This condition is often a result of a bite problem, where the teeth are not positioned properly when the jaws are closed. This is also called malocclusion. Another reason for TMD is bruxism or the habit of grinding the teeth while asleep. Retainers can help by preventing the mouth from closing completely while asleep, to prevent you from grinding your teeth.