Which is the best time to initiate an orthodontic treatment?

There are two moments in childhood when it can be recommended to initiate an orthodontic treatment:

• When children are around 7-8-year old: At that age, it is indicated to treat those problems that, if left untreated, will be much more difficult to correct, or will get much worse, due to an uncoordinated growth of jawbones, such as for example, posterior and anterior crossbites. On the other hand, it is not recommended to treat problems exclusively of the teeth, such as cramping. It might be convenient to insert teeth maintainers if cramping is very severe.
• The second moment to initiate treatment is when children are around 11-12-year-old, depending on the problem, patient’s development, and stage of transition to permanent teeth. Ideally, treatment should be initiated at the peak of maximum growth of the patient.

How we work with our child and adolescent patients

Many children come to our centre to confirm if everything is correct. We will keep examining these patients until their transition to permanent teeth has been completed, and then we will evaluate jointly with parents whether it is recommended or not to initiate treatment, and which the possibilities are.

Once treatment has been initiated, we will provide plenty of information about how they must clean their teeth, if it is necessary to wear elastic bands or not, etc.

During treatment, photos will be taken to control the case evolution, and they will be shown to patients so that they can confirm and celebrate the improvement.

Invisible orthodontics recommended in adolescents. Advantages.

It is possible to use invisible orthodontics with Invisalign Teen, which takes into account a series of differences with adult treatment, such as guided teeth eruption, and the control of the hours for using aligners.

This is a very good option, because it allows to keep an excellent hygiene; the only essential thing is patient’s cooperation with the use of aligners.

The importante of parents’ cooperation

Parents will play a very important role in an orthodontics treatment. We will request their help, particularly for hygiene and the use of elastic bands, if necessary.

Which devices are most frequently used in children and adolescents? How long does treatment last?

Typically, adolescents will prefer porcelain or sapphire braces. These are more aesthetically pleasing, and have a very good performance. They are as effective as the metallic ones; and high-quality sapphire or porcelain braces won’t change colour at all throughout treatment. The average duration of our orthodontic treatments for children and adolescents is about 16-18 months.