Dental Braces, We’ve listed the alternatives you may be interested in if your child needs dental work done. All in all, braces seem to be the best option.
Dental Braces, Braces are a right of passage for many kids who have different orthodontic needs. Even though they are very useful for obtaining a healthy smile (orthodontic problems can cause hygiene difficulties or speech development difficulties), there might be a variety of reasons a family or child wants to avoid Dental Braces –cost, aesthetics, pain, etc. Whether your child has to have braces will depend mainly on the orthodontic issue being corrected and when their adult teeth come in. Here are some times when your child may get around needing braces, and what alternatives might be in order for avoiding the need for braces.
Headgear
When you think about orthodontic headgear, what do you think about? While many often think about the 1980s and teen movies during that era, headgear still can have a beneficial role in improving dental health. Headgear is generally used when someone has either a deficient jaw (overbite) or an underbite. It can be used with or without braces. If your child or teen has straight teeth but a serious overbite or underbite, then it’s likely that headgear or another jaw alignment correcting piece of orthodontia is all that will be needed.
Headgear won’t straighten teeth, but it will help with improving a child’s smile. It’s most often used for children and teenagers as opposed to adults. In addition to helping with overbite and underbite, it can help when someone’s teeth don’t line up from side to side, as well (crossbite). Depending upon the severity of the correction needed, headgear can be quite painful as it’s pretty aggressive. However, it only takes 6 months to a year for it to correct the alignment.
Retainers
Most retainers are prescribed and made after braces. However, if a child or teen has teeth that are only mildly crooked, a retainer may be just the fix they need. Retainers are worn by both children and adults in order to keep teeth from moving once braces have been removed. Retainers without braces are usually used when a child has a gap between teeth or sometimes if there are just one or two teeth that need to be moved.
If your child’s orthodontist has determined that a retainer is sufficient, you’ll have an appointment for the fitting. They will make a mold of your child’s mouth so that the retainer will be a perfect fit. After doing that, then the retainer is made specifically for your child’s needs. You should not use another person’s retainer as it will not be made specifically for your child’s mouth.
Veneers
Veneers are another alternative to braces. There’s a lot of controversy about using them, as while it’s an instant correction to crooked teeth it is often a more invasive procedure than braces. There are a few disadvantages of using veneers: if they chip, they can’t be fixed; the original tooth may become more sensitive; if the teeth are already weak, this isn’t a good option. They also don’t age well, and if your child develops gum disease, they may look bad.
The only time you would want to do veneers over braces would be when the teeth are already so damaged that they’re correcting a multitude of problems. Veneers might be appropriate in a case where someone injured their mouth and where there’s a severe discoloration that cannot be fixed with the normal tooth whitening process. It goes without saying that you should not use veneers until your child’s adult teeth are in. Some advantages of using veneers are that they look natural, the gums accept the porcelain material, and the color can be chosen to match the teeth already present.
Clear Aligners
Clear aligners are another popular alternative to braces. Many like them because you cannot see them when they are in place. If your child’s teeth are not in need of serious correction, the aligners may be appropriate. They are gentler, they’re removable, making it easier for kids to eat and brush their teeth, and they’re a lot more inconspicuous.
The downside of clear aligners is that they need to be worn at least 22 hours out of the day. This means if your child is less responsible, they may not do the work necessary to straighten teeth. They also can fall out, get damaged, accidentally be thrown away, or disappear underneath couch cushions. It’s also extremely important that kids with clear aligners do not drink soda or other sugary drinks because the aligners can trap sugar underneath, leading to tooth decay.
This news was originally published at moms.com