Once upon a time, braces were seen as highly unfashionable and maybe even unpleasant. Now they are so common, and there are so many new options available, that they have actually become quite trendy!

Here we discuss the aesthetics of braces and the options available to your child.

What will my child look like with the braces in?

One of the most popular options with children and teenagers (and sometimes adults!) is the ceramic straight wire brace, which allows the patient to choose what colour elastics we use. Pink, yellow, red, blue – choosing the colour makes the treatment a little bit more fun.

The brace is worn full time. We only remove it once the treatment is complete, so you won’t have to worry about taking it in and out.

We may tell you that your child needs to wear elastics between their top and bottom teeth as well. If this is the case, you will need to make sure that they do, as otherwise the correction of the teeth and the bite will not progress as required. This means that the treatment may take much longer, and the result may not be as good as expected.

Will fixed braces affect my child’s gums?

Children’s gums are thicker, healthier and stronger than adults’, so we don’t tend to see any issues related to gums. There are two complications to be aware of, but even these are very rare. The first is called devitalisation, which is where the nerve of the tooth dies. If this does occur it’s usually because the child has fallen over, is hit in the face by a ball, is play fighting, or has had a sudden, harsh impact to the tooth.

The other is root resorption, which is when the root of the tooth becomes shorter. This tends to happen with more severe corrections that take a long time. If we feel that your child is at risk of this, from x-rays we have taken, or if it happens unexpectedly, we would communicate this to you and your child and develop an aftercare plan.

As mentioned, both of these complications are very rare, but it’s important that you know all the facts when choosing the right treatment for your child.

You can contact us HERE for a FREE consultation to discuss the options available for your child.