The obvious potential reward is straighter teeth that are less time consuming to clean and less prone to traumatic injury - but just as important is the boost to self confidence that a better smile can provide.
Adults
now account for 25% of orthodontic patients. Treatment can be successful
at later ages, even though bones are no longer growing because the biological
process involved in tooth movement is the same in adults as in children.
As you prepare to make decisions about orthodontics, it's very important to be armed with the facts.
Here's a series of questions and answers which will give you an insight into the science.
Q - Why is orthodontics important?
Q - When should my child first see an orthodontist?
Q - Can it be too late for a person to be fitted with braces?
Q- Who says braces are just for kids?
Q - Who needs orthodontics?
Q - What's the right age for Orthodontic Treatment?
Q - What about costs?
Q - Why is orthodontics important?
A
- Orthodontics can boost a person's self-image as the teeth, jaws and lips
become properly aligned, but an attractive smile is just one of the benefits.
Alleviating or preventing physical health problems is just as important.
- Prominent teeth
are easily broken
in sport or common
accidents. A gum shield should always be worn in any trauma prone sport or activity.
- Without treatment,
orthodontic problems
may make effective
tooth cleaning more
difficult and time
consuming than it
needs to be.
- A "bad bite" can
contribute to tooth
loss, chipped teeth
and other dental
injuries from excessive
enamel wear over
time.
- Impacted (buried)
canine teeth occur
in one in 50 people
and can silently
harm nearby teeth
if left untreated.
A specialist orthodontic opinion can tell you if any of these
problems apply to you. If diagnosed early in life, orthodontic
correction can prevent problems later.
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Q - When should my child first see an orthodontist?
A
- TThe American Association of Orthodontists recommends that every child should
get an orthodontic examination no later than age eight, although earlier examination
may be required if your general dentist has a reason for recommending it. Some
orthodontic problems are easier to correct if detected early, rather than waiting
until jaw growth has slowed. One third of all children need orthodontics and
another one third of children would benefit from orthodontics. Early treatment
may mean a patient will avoid surgery or other serious corrections later in
life. Most child patients start their main orthodontic treatment between eleven
and thirteen years of age. This age gives the patient the best chance of accepting
treatment easily and achieving an ideal outcome..
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Q - Can it be too late for a person to be fitted with braces?
A
- No, because healthy teeth can be moved at any age with modern training and
techniques. Orthodontics can improve the smile of practically anyone - in fact our oldest patient is sixty four years of age. It is however important to make sure a child with prominent teeth is treated whilst they are still growing, so that braces rather than jaw surgery can correct the problem easily.
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Q - Who says braces are just for kids?
A
- Certainly not the estimated 1 million adults in the United States who have
chosen orthodontic treatment as the route to better oral health and emotional
well being.
Adults are discovering that today's high-tech materials are
light years away from the "metal mouth" look they may
have been familiar with as teenagers.
Some recent innovations include completely invisible (lingual)
or clear (ceramic) tooth coloured brackets. There is no longer
any need to fear the visual effects of wearing a brace. Sophisticated
engineering of the tooth moving wires has resulted in low visibility
and invisible braces, which are quicker and less invasive than
the old fashioned braces you may remember from childhood.
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Q - Who needs orthodontics?
A
- No one can deny the importance of a winning smile. It makes a pleasing appearance,
promotes self-esteem and is valuable to social and career success.
Creating beautiful smiles is what orthodontics is all about.
And today, orthodontics is so convenient and affordable that
individuals from childhood through retirement can reap its important
benefits.
Orthodontics is important not only for a great smile and improved
self-confidence, but effective tooth cleaning is quicker with
straight teeth. Dental health can be protected by moving teeth
out of harms way, when they are prominent or impacted.
Braces fit easily into today's active lifestyles. They're comfortable,
easy to keep clean and less visible than in the past.
New techniques and materials can extend the period between
appointments, saving time and expense.
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Q - What is the right age for orthodontics?
A
- The right age can be any age. Early examination allows us to determine when
your child's problem should be treated for maximum improvement - in the least
time and at the lowest cost.
Certain treatment techniques provide significant benefits for
patients between six to 11 years old. Treatment during these
growth stages can achieve results not possible once face and
jaw bones have finished growing.
Full orthodontic treatment with braces is generally begun after
all the permanent teeth are in place, usually between the ages
of eleven and thirteen.
Adults of any age can have great orthodontic results provided they are motivated to achieve an ideal outcome.
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Q - What about costs?
A
- These will vary, of course, depending on the nature of the problem. You may
be surprised to discover that orthodontics is less expensive than you thought
when you consider the benefits can be life long.
David Gale offers various finance plans to help meet individual
treatment needs. If payments are made over less than 12 months
then there is no interest to pay.
Costs can be spread over the duration of the treatment. You
always know what treatment will cost in total before it starts.
Of course, it is important to keep in mind the lifetime value
that orthodontics provides, long after the treatment is complete.
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