You have probably noticed how everyone under the age of about 30 has perfectly straight teeth these days. That’s because of the great strides orthodontics have made in the past 20 years. Braces have got a lot smaller and more comfortable, and there is much more choice for people who have mild to moderate misalignment issues, which is most people.
You may also have noticed that kids seem to be getting braces at a much younger age these days and that is also thanks to advances in braces technology on the diagnostics front. These days, at Weybridge Orthodontics, we can take a look inside your child’s jawbone at the adult teeth lining up to come through behind their baby teeth. We can use our advanced diagnostics to accurately predict how those teeth will come through and whether they will need some help to arrive well aligned.
That’s another big difference with orthodontics in Weybridge today, we can help teeth descend into the right place rather than having to wait until they have arrived and then move them around.
Also, if your child has alignment problems with their jaws, then the earlier treatment starts the easier it is. The jawbone is pretty malleable when your child is young, but after the age of 18, it sets hard and the shape of it can no longer be altered.
Timing
All this means that we can give your child an orthodontic assessment when they are as young as 5-7 years old. If we think they are going to need orthodontics in Weybridge, treatment can begin when they have a mixture of adult and baby teeth, at around the age of 9.
Having braces fitted so early means that children can get their treatment completed and out of the way before they are 12-13 years old and the agonies of adolescence begin. They can go through the awful self-consciousness of being a teenager without having to feel awful about either their wonky teeth or having to wear braces.
So, if you’d like us to see what lies in store for your child, bring them along for an orthodontic assessment soon. Certainly, if they are aged 9 or over, the sooner the better.