DENATL BRACES: IMPORTANT FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND

Braces or orthodontic appliances are used by an orthodontist to prevent and treat dental problems. These appliances are used to achieve proper balance of the face and the teeth by correcting malocclusion or bad bite.

When to start
The most confusing question for the parents is whether the treatment is required and also when to actually start the orthodontic treatment. Many conditions in a child are self correcting like spaces between front milk teeth are normal. These need no treatment. Bad bites or malocclusions are seen as early as 2-3 years of age. The main aim is to start the treatment at a time when it will reduce the time taken, give good results, minimum teeth are extracted and major orthodontic treatment can be avoided at a later age.
Early treatment is known as interceptive orthodontics. In such cases the results are more stable and there is no need to wait till all adult teeth are in the mouth. This is done when the jaw is growing the most between 6 and 10 years of age.
Permanent teeth usually erupt in the child’s mouth around 12-13 years of age. So it is a good time to start full orthodontic treatment when the permanent canines (front corner teeth) start showing in the mouth. Many growing kids display irregular and frayed teeth at this age which is known as ugly duckling stage. This is again a self correcting stage which generally corrects itself when the permanent canines erupt fully.
Orthodontics can also be done when a kid turns older, but the treatment then takes much longer and is also more stressful as his/her jaw is not easy to stretch anymore. So the best bet is to get to your dentist who does your checkups to refer your child to orthodontist at 6-7 years of age and then let him guide you in the right direction.

Some early signs to look for

As parents we should always be on the lookout for signs that indicate need for orthodontics. This way we can help the dentist with a clearer picture of the child’s habit and history.
In many cases orthodontics is needed to correct problems that are inherited such as jaw size and shapes, tooth size and shapes, extra or missing tooth and crowding of teeth.
In others, it may be the habits that cause problems needing orthodontic treatment such as thumb-sucking, use of bottle and pacifier, tongue habits etc. Parents should look for certain things that can lead to problems like:
• Early or late loss of baby teeth
• Crowding of teeth
• Missing or extra teeth
• Difficulty in chewing
• Jaws that click and make sound
• Thumb-sucking
• Talking with a lisp
• Mouth breathing
• If jaw or teeth look abnormal.

Your dentist may not be able to notice everything about a child in a short visit, so it helps if a parent is on the lookout for early spotting of problems.

How orthodontic treatment works

The orthodontist’s main aim is to have your kid’s teeth and jaw in perfect balance. This can be done by changing the shape of kid’s jaw so all the kids teeth fit.
A child jaw may feel a solid as an adult but is actually much softer. It can be expanded if required, can be reshaped with functional appliances that can correct major jaw problem at this time which later may require surgery for correction. All this best can be done between 11 and 13 yrs of age. But orthodontic consultation must be done at the age of 6.5 to 6 years.
The orthodontist puts braces on the tooth so that they all get pushed into the proper place. The jaw is also pushed to stretch the child’s mouth so that the teeth can go into correct position.
Braces work by putting pressure on the teeth very slowly. The tooth is attached by a ligament called periodontal ligament to the bone. So with pressure the bone is moved and the tooth moves in that direction. This is done slowly and takes a long time. That is why orthodontic treatment takes anywhere between 1 and 3 yrs.
Braces are normally fixed in the child’s mouth until the treatment is over.
They are made of either metal, plastic or ceramic. They may be removable or fixed to the teeth by cement.
When the braces are first put, it can cause a child some discomfort. The teeth and gums may feel sore, upon eating or biting. The lips, cheeks and tongue also get some irritation. After a while, the child becomes used to braces and wears them quite happily. Today the braces are also becoming a fashion statement.
After the braces are removed, a retainer may be used for sometime .These are worn for a few hours or at night.

Some common appliances
1. Myofuntional appliances
• Are used by the orthodontist in the early stages so as to limit the need for orthodontic work later and to make it easier. It is normally done when a child is between 6 to 10 years of age and it corrects the bad forces which cause malocclusion.

• Myofunctional appliances are used to correct the abnormal jaw relationship. It is normally done between 11 and 13 years of age.

2. Space maintainers
• Are used when a baby tooth falls out early due to an accident or dental disease. This appliance is put into place to maintain space for the adult teeth and guide them into the correct position

• Space maintainer is very important as it prevents the other tooth from tilting or shifting into the gap created by the lost teeth. It helps to avoid expensive orthodontic work at a later stage.

Special care of teeth with braces

• Kids with braces or other appliances need extra special care of their teeth. Keeping the mouth very healthy during orthodontic treatment helps the dentist to do a successful treatment.
• Children with braces must avoid sticky sweets or chewing gum.
• Hard food should also be avoided as it can break the brackets or the wires of the braces. So the food can be chopped small and eaten by the back molar teeth.
• Chewing hard things like pencils, pens, finger nails can damage the braces
• Teeth and braces must be brushed and flossed regularly and thoroughly. The dentist will show you how to brush and floss the right way. Special orthodontic brush is used by some kids that clean around the braces. Floss threaders can help with flossing of teeth.
• The child and parents need to cooperate with the orthodontist fully to get the best response of the treatment.