A straight, white smile is important to adults and teens alike. Conversely, a crooked smile could harm your teen's self-esteem and overall dental health. You should consider braces when you notice your child's teeth aren't straight, are growing over one another, or are causing issues with eating or speaking.
Braces treat misaligned teeth while correcting jaw alignment, overbite, and underbite problems. In minor cases, clear aligners like Invisalign can correct misalignment or maintain alignment after braces are removed.
In this article, you’ll discover what braces are, why braces are necessary, how they correct crooked teeth, and when a teen should begin wearing them.
According to the Pennsylvania Dental Association, more than 4 million people in the United States are wearing braces at any given time. Braces are used to correct alignment issues such as crowded, crooked, or protruding teeth. Alignment issues or a bad bite, called malocclusion, cause a child's teeth to cross over, become spaced too far, or grow at an angle. Braces work by adding continuous pressure to your teeth. This gentle pressure moves the teeth into alignment, correcting the malocclusion.
Traditional braces are made of either metal alloy or stainless steel with plastic, ceramic, or metal brackets attached by rubber bands. Braces can also be clear or tooth-colored if they don't like the aesthetic of traditional metal braces. Clear braces are made from plastic or porcelain.
An orthodontist can start orthodontic treatment in a child as young as seven or eight years old. However, the average age treatment begins is between 10 and 14 years old. At this point, most children and young teens have all their adult teeth, but their bones are still growing. This makes it easier to move their teeth into a natural alignment. According to Kids Health, braces treatment may last up to two years before it's completed.
An orthodontist may recommend braces in younger children to straighten out a bad bite. Sometimes a bad bite is genetic, but in many cases it's caused by excessive thumb-sucking or drinking bottles long after the age of three. If this condition isn't corrected initially, it could cause future dental issues that affect your teen’s speech and self-esteem.
Correcting a bad bite (malocclusion) at the start can save your teen from more invasive procedures in the future. If you notice any of the following signs in your child it may be time to consult with an orthodontist.
Malocclusion, the technical term for a "bad bite" (misaligned teeth), is a condition that makes it difficult for people to bite and chew food normally. Teens with an overbite, underbite, or severely crowded teeth may overcompensate by chewing on one side of their mouths, which could cause jaw alignment issues in the future. They may even skip hard foods in favor of a softer diet. According to the National Library of Medicine, a soft diet could negatively affect jaw alignment.
Teens with misaligned teeth may accidentally bite the inside of their cheek or bite their tongue when speaking. Misaligned teeth can also dig into their lips or inner cheek creating pain every time they speak. As a result, they may talk with a lisp or over pronounce syllables to keep their teeth from touching these areas.
According to Informed Health, crooked teeth, in particular protruding incisors (front teeth), are more likely to become damaged. They’re also more likely to injure tissue on the inside of your teen’s lips. In some cases, an orthodontist needs to file the teeth to create a less jagged surface.
Misaligned teeth can cause your teen's jaw to ache or make a popping sound. If this continues, their jaw could become blocked or stuck, making it difficult to open their mouth. Compensatory movements like grinding their teeth may increase this risk. Teens with this symptom often hold their jaw or stretch their mouths open repetitively.
In a study published by The American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, more than 900 students (460 girls and 450 boys) were asked about their experience with bullying. Over 50% of these students recalled being bullied over dental and facial attributes. Of this number, 50% said bullies pointed out their teeth the most.
Excessive bullying can lead to depression. You may think your teen's teeth will "straighten out on their own," but this doesn't happen. The majority of people with malocclusion require no treatment, but it doesn't go away on its own, and 10% to 15% of people need treatment to stop it from worsening. Studies show a reduction in depression and low self-esteem among people who have had a dental correction.
One complication of malocclusion is gum disease. Gum disease occurs when harmful bacteria breach the surface of the gums and begin multiplying. Regular flossing reduces this risk, but crooked teeth prevent adequate flossing. If your teen has swollen, red, inflamed gums that bleed, they may have early-stage gum disease, also called gingivitis. Braces can correct the malocclusion allowing the dentist to treat, and in some cases reverse, the gingivitis. However, if gingivitis progresses without treatment, braces may no longer be an option.
Children should begin seeing a dentist when they sprout their first tooth and continue seeing them twice a year. By following the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's (AAPD) guidelines of having their teeth checked every six months, a dentist can diagnose and correct any issues before they become problematic.
Braces are both beneficial and necessary in cases of malocclusion. When malocclusion isn’t corrected, brushing and flossing can be challenging. In addition, teeth too close together can harbor bacteria and acids that decay your teen’s teeth. Speak to an orthodontist if your teen displays any of the above signs or has chronic jaw pain. If you have orthodontic benefits as part of your health insurance, this may cover your teen's braces.
