If you or your teen have misalignment, then your oral health could suffer. But our team can treat misalignment, even severe cases, with our braces. In today’s blog, your Shirley, NY, pediatric dentist and orthodontist talks about how we treat poor alignment with metal braces, and what to expect from treatment.
The Causes and Impacts of Dental Misalignment
Dental misalignment can often occur due to concerns that develop in childhood. For example, thumb sucking and tongue thrusting could alter how your teeth erupt. The loss of baby teeth prematurely could also lead to issues with the arrival of the permanent teeth, and with this, uneven teeth. For others, this could lead to issues with the growth and development of the jaw or even the eruption of the teeth. Without treatment, misalignment not only alters your child’s appearance but could also leave smiles more vulnerable to issues like tooth decay and gingivitis. Which is why treatment is so crucial!
Traditional Braces
Our team reserves braces for kids with more severe cases of misalignment, the kind that we cannot treat with phase one orthodontics or aligners alone. We will wait until all of the permanent teeth have erupted and the surfaces properly calcified. We then attach metal brackets to the front facing sides of the teeth, and connect a portion of an arch wire to them with a band. Our team then adjusts the tension in the arch wire to gently shift the teeth over a period of about two years, so your teen can enjoy optimal smile beauty and better oral health and function too.
Cosmetic Alternatives
For some patients, we could use ceramic brackets for the upper set of braces, so your orthodontics are much less visible. We shade these to blend with the teeth. This offers a cosmetic alternative for some of our patients. For this with less severe misalignment, we could also offer Invisalign® clear aligners. These are practically invisible and worn daily for a set amount of time, gently shifting the teeth in as little as one year in some cases, while also being removable.
If you want to help your child obtain an even smile, then contact our team today to schedule an initial consultation, so we can examine the smile and see which treatments are best. For kids, we could start with phase one orthodontics and move on to braces or aligners in the teen years.
Your Shirley, NY, Pediatric Dentist Offers Custom Orthodontics
Our team wants to help treat uneven smiles and improve overall oral health. If you want to learn more about treating the factors behind your malocclusion, then contact Shirley Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Shirley, NY, by calling (631) 399-1600.
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