Treatment for Children
Braces for kids can create beautiful, healthy smiles that last a lifetime. According to the American Association of Orthodontists, parents should bring their children in to see an orthodontist by the age of 7. At this age, the first adult molars erupt, and we can evaluate your child’s smile for any orthodontic issues.
While your child may not need braces right away, we can begin to monitor the growth and development of the teeth and jaw bones. We will let you know when it is the optimal time for your child to start treatment depending on their age and orthodontic needs.
Why Braces for Kids?
When you bring your child in to see Dr. Durham, he can decide the best course of action at the best time, providing the most efficient treatment possible. When we find orthodontic issues early, we have a better chance of correcting them in a shorter length of time, which means less cost to you. When patients wait until their children are older, some orthodontic issues may worsen. This can cause your child to need more invasive, costly treatment later on in life.
Treatment for Teens
In addition to early treatment, we also provide orthodontic treatment to pre-teens and teens, most commonly between the ages of 11 and 15. By age 12, the majority of patients have gotten all of their adult teeth in, making it easy to detect any misalignments and growth issues.
If your teen is anxious about starting orthodontic treatment, you can assure them that now is an excellent time to get braces. The majority of patients that we have in treatment are teens, so your child will be in good company. For those who want a subtler treatment option, we offer Invisalign Teen clear aligners. Patients can remove Invisalign aligners to eat and clean their teeth, making it a convenient option. While some teens may not be good candidates for Invisalign, we can start by evaluating your child’s needs and determine the best treatment type.