Kids Orthodontics St. John's Wood

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Early Orthodontic Treatment

Early orthodontic treatment usually occurs between 6 and 11 years old, where intervention, as a child's mouth and teeth grow, can identify any issues in the development of their teeth and bite.

Benefits of early intervention:

Treatment can be more effective while your child is still growing.
It can reduce the need for more complex treatment in the future.
It may prevent the need to extract permanent teeth.
It can reduce the risk of complications.
Improves your child's confidence.

The dentist will undertake a detailed examination to check your child's oral health and take x-rays and a 3D scan of your child's teeth and gums to properly assess the treatment options available.

In some cases, early intervention may not provide sufficient benefit, and waiting a year or two more before putting braces on may be best. In these cases, we will continue to monitor your child's development and make sure their orthodontic treatment is carried out at the correct time.

In other cases, the dentist will walk you through the benefits of any proposed early intervention treatment as well as any limitations there may be.

Types of early orthodontics treatment include:

Expansion – assisting the natural growth of your child's mouth to allow more room for adult teeth.
Teeth growth modification – helping adult teeth to grow straighter as they emerge from the gum.
Interceptive extractions – removing baby teeth that are preventing the proper growth of adult teeth.

Some treatments may include the use of fixed brackets or removable appliances, such as retainers or aligners (mouthguard-like 'trays' that fit around the teeth).

What common orthodontics issues look like:

Kids and Teen Orthodontics

Children's orthodontics are usually undertaken between the age 11 and 14 years old once their adult teeth have replaced their milk teeth. The aim at this stage is to straighten the teeth and achieve a smile they can keep for life.

Braces can be a solution to several common dental issues:

Overly crowded teeth
Gappy Teeth
Misaligned bite (over-jet, under-bite, cross bite, deep bite)

In some cases, there may be a need to remove one or more teeth:

Baby teeth – Occasionally baby teeth stay in the mouth for longer than they should and delay the adult teeth coming through. In these cases, their removal will significantly help.
Adult (permanent) teeth – Many people have too many teeth for the size of their jaws and so the removal of some of the adult teeth may be needed to make space to straighten the crooked ones. The decision to remove teeth is never taken lightly and is based on careful consideration of the position of the teeth and how they bite together. If the teeth are not too crooked, it may be possible to have treatment without having any removed.

The following factors could delay the start of treatment:

The number of adult teeth in the mouth
Orthodontic treatment that involves the use of fixed braces usually starts when all the adult teeth have appeared in the mouth. However, a removable brace can be fitted at an earlier age if it is necessary.

The general condition of the teeth and gums
If there is dental decay or gum disease, orthodontic treatment will need to be delayed until it is treated. If it is not, there is a real risk of both the decay and the gum disease getting worse when a brace is fitted.

Essentially there are two kinds of brace:

Fixed braces – These are individually fixed to the teeth with a special glue and therefore cannot be removed by the patient. This type of brace is used when the teeth are very crooked and offers the best results. Some patients (especially children) like to choose different colours on the brace to make them trendier, e.g. the colours of their favourite football team. Adults may wish to choose clear or 'invisible' braces.
Removable braces – Are very useful at moving either individual or groups of teeth, for example for correcting a deep bite or widening a narrow upper jaw. As such they can be used at an earlier age than the fixed brace. This type of treatment usually precedes fixed brace treatment. The big advantage of removable braces is that they are easily cleaned.

The time needed to affect the necessary corrections very much depends on:

How crooked the teeth are
The more complicated the problem, the longer the treatment is likely to take; e.g. teeth that have failed to grow into the mouth properly can take up to two years to straighten.

The type of brace
Fixed brace treatment on average will take up to 18 months and removable brace treatment, from 6-9 months.

Care of the appliance:
Repeated breakages and poor cleaning of the brace will significantly delay treatment time.

The fitting of the brace is not painful. The patient may well experience a degree of discomfort, from both the teeth and inside of the cheeks, for a few days following the initial placement of the brace and subsequent adjustments.

Once the brace (fixed or removable) has been fitted, visits to the orthodontist at 4-6-week intervals will be needed in order to monitor progress and have the brace adjusted. It is very important to continue with regular check-ups with a dentist to ensure that the teeth and gums remain in the very best condition possible throughout the treatment.

It is essential to ensure that both the teeth and the brace are kept as clean as possible. Any particles of food and plaque left around the brace means that you are more at risk of developing tooth decay or gum disease. The orthodontist, dentist or hygienist will advise about the use of any special toothpastes, brushes or mouth rinses to help keep your mouth as healthy as possible during your orthodontic treatment.

Fixed Braces

Quote Left I am currently having braces and I have to say that I just love this office! I am just in love with the way my teeth are looking. The Doctor and staff are ALWAYS so friendly and the office is beautiful. I have already recommended Aura dental spa to my friends! Quote Right

- Christine -

These devices are used to correct crooked teeth and individual brackets are fixed to the teeth with a special glue and therefore cannot be removed by the patient. This type of brace is used when the teeth are very crooked and offers the best results.

During fixed brace treatment it is very important that every effort is made to avoid damaging the brace, teeth or gums. This will ensure that orthodontic treatment gives the most pleasing results in the shortest time possible.

It is not uncommon for a brace to cause some discomfort for a few days after its initial placement and for a similar period after adjustments made during later appointments. If, however, any part of the brace becomes loose or causes significant discomfort the practice should be contacted at the earliest opportunity.

Those fitted with a brace should continue to eat normal meals, but to prevent damage to the teeth and brace certain foods should be avoided:

Sticky foods – toffees, chewing gum, etc
Hard foods – boiled sweets, nuts, etc. Crunchy foods such as apples and carrots should be cut into small pieces
Fizzy drinks and concentrated fruit juices
Sweet snacks and drinks, especially between meals
Also, habits such as biting nails and chewing pen tops should be stopped.

It is important that regular check-up appointments with the dentist should take place throughout the treatment.

Having a fixed brace will make cleaning teeth and gums more difficult. However, with a little practice it will soon become second nature. After each meal, it should be ensured that the brace, teeth and gums are thoroughly cleaned in order to avoid gum disease and tooth decay.

In addition to cleaning both above and below the fixed brace and along the gum margin with a normal toothbrush, the brace should be cleaned using a special inter-dental brush. After cleaning, inspect the teeth in the mirror to ensure that all food particles have been removed.

The following aids can also be used to ensure that the teeth and gums remain in the best possible health:

After cleaning the teeth, use disclosing tablets to show up any areas of the mouth that have been missed
A daily fluoride mouth-rinse can be used
A special type of dental floss is available for cleaning between the teeth.
If close contact sports are played, inform the dentist and he or she can arrange to fit a mouthguard

It is worth remembering that any damage to the brace not only increases the likelihood of experiencing discomfort but will also slow down the treatment progress.

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