Orthodontics for Teens

​While there is no exact age for children to begin orthodontic treatment, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends visiting the orthodontist around age seven. By this age, most children have a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth, making it easier for the orthodontist to diagnose and correct tooth and jaw problems sooner and without surgery.
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EARLY TREATMENT ALLOWS YOUR ORTHODONTIST TO:
  • Correct and guide the growth of your child's jaw to help the permanent teeth come in straight
  • Regulate the width of the upper and lower arches
  • Create more space for crowded teeth
  • Avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions later in life
  • Correct thumb sucking or tongue thrust and help improve minor speech problems

For parents, it's not always easy to know if your child may need orthodontic treatment. If your child is seven or older, schedule a no cost or obligation initial exam with Dr. John Orthodontics today!

​HERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR THAT MAY MEAN YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO SEE AN ORTHODONTIST

  • Crowded front teeth around age seven or eight
  • Protruding Upper Front Teeth (these are prone to childhood injuries)
  • Crossbites (the lower teeth bite outside the top teeth)
  • Underbites
  • Early or late loss of baby teeth
  • A hard time chewing or biting food
  • Mouth breathing
  • Severe nightly grinding
  • Finger or thumb sucking
  • Crowded, misplaced, or blocked teeth
  • Jaws that pop or make sounds when opening and closing
  • Teeth that come together abnormally, or do not come together at all
  • Jaws and teeth that are not proportionate to the rest of the face

​Please contact Dr. John Orthodontics to schedule an appointment for an orthodontic evaluation. Early treatment now will provide a good foundation for their developing jaws and teeth and may save them extensive and unnecessary treatment in the future. 

Braces for teens

Don't worry! Braces aren't nearly as scary as you may think. In fact, braces today come in a variety of styles, materials, and colors, making life with braces much easier, more comfortable, and even more stylish than in the past. In some cases, braces have actually become a status symbol!

HOW LONG WILL my teen HAVE TO WEAR BRACES

The amount of time it takes to treat your smile with braces depends on three key factors:
  • Early treatment -- Early treatment allows orthodontists to monitor the growth of the jaw and recommend further orthodontic treatment if it becomes necessary. Not everybody receives early orthodontic treatment; in some cases it may be recommended that a patient wait to receive treatment. Dr. John is a conservative orthodontist who believes that only doing what is necessary to protect the bite, create proper function, and align a beautiful smile is always the best option. 
  • What needs correction -- The amount of treatment needed to correct a problem will determine how long the process takes. Different patients react to treatments differently. While it may take one patient only 12 months to complete treatment, it may take another patient 30 months. Treatment times can vary depending on how quickly your body responds and how much work is needed to give you the show-stopping smile you expect.  MOST treatments last 18-24 months. Dr. John believes in only treating the patient for as long as necessary and takes the conservative approach to treatment using higher quality wires and brackets to reduce the amount of appointments and treatment lengths. 
  • YOU! -- Your willingness to use the appliances we give you plays a major role in the length of time it takes to complete your treatment. Always remember to take care of your braces and appliances, wear your elastics & watch what you eat - this truly will help make your treatment shorter!

​BRACES YOUR WAY!

​Our practice offers a variety of braces, types and styles, to choose from. Some common options include: ​
Orthodontics is a big part of your teens life. While braces may have had a bad reputation in the past, today's braces and aligners make it easy to look good and feel good! Please contact Dr. John Orthodontics to schedule an orthodontic evaluation.