There are few gifts a parent can give their child that are more beneficial than a beautiful, healthy smile. Braces can allow your teen to enter adulthood with confidence and optimal oral health. If you notice that your teen’s teeth are crowded, gapped, or misaligned, it may be time to straighten their smile with the help of braces.
Dr. Tyler Robison and the Robison Orthodontic staff love seeing our teen patients enjoy the benefits of a beautiful smile. If your teenager requires an orthodontic solution, Robison Orthodontic will help you select from the best braces for teenagers the industry has to offer. Our many years of experience ensure customized treatments to meet the cosmetic and oral health needs of the many teens who enter our doors.
Most teenagers can benefit from braces. In some cases, the teen may be aware of misaligned teeth, making them insecure and reluctant to smile. In others, visibly evident orthodontic issues like crowding, gapping, or a misaligned bite can cause oral health problems that necessitate braces. Even when it is not obvious that your child can benefit from orthodontic treatment, there may be other, less obvious reasons that teens may need braces or treatment using a palate expander.
Better aligned teeth help your teenager’s bite, make oral hygiene easier, and prevent jaw pain. When these issues are not corrected at an early age, jaw injuries, plaque, and enamel wear can begin, causing problems that can last throughout adulthood.
Addressing Bite Problems
Bite issues can make chewing painful, cause oral hygiene problems, and lead to jaw pain and injury. Braces can address the following bite problems.
Addressing Dental Spacing Issues
If your teen has dental spacing issues, such as too little or too much space between teeth, braces can help. Crowded teeth often lead to dental misalignments and overlaps, which can make teeth difficult to clean and lead to plaque buildup, tartar, and cavities. Gaps between teeth can cause cosmetic problems and can allow teeth to shift over time. Braces can resolve these issues before they become serious problems in adulthood.
Adolescent thumb-sucking can lead to dental spacing issues. In some cases, past thumb-sucking can alter the shape of the mouth. Early orthodontic treatment can address the root cause and correct jaw alignment problems before they cause more serious complications or discomfort.
Addressing Confidence Issues
Teens often struggle with self-confidence problems, especially if they have misaligned teeth. Many teenagers struggle with self-esteem problems, particularly when dental health issues affect one of the most prominent components of their facial structure. A beautiful smile can boost their self-confidence and help with self-esteem.
Improved Oral Hygiene
A straighter smile also makes it easier for teens to maintain good oral hygiene, reducing the risk of future dental problems like cavities and gum disease. Braces can also widen the jaw when the treatment is used in conjunction with a palate expander. A palate expander is an orthodontic device used to widen the dental arch on the roof of the mouth. It’s often needed before braces can be applied to ensure proper alignment.
There are a variety of options available for teens who need braces. However, just like selecting the right tool for a repair, selecting the right braces to help your teen’s smile shine is a matter of knowing what options are available. These are just a few of the options that may work for your teen.
While many teens shy away from traditional metal braces, they have been the standard in orthodontic health for a reason. They work extremely well and may be the long term solution you are looking for. These braces are much less obtrusive than metal braces have been in the past, and are customizable with colored bands.
Ceramic braces work just like traditional braces, though the brackets are made of a different material. Ceramic brace brackets are made of a ceramic material that can be shaded to match your teen’s teeth.
Invisalign aligners are a series of clear, plastic aligners custom-created to progressively move your teen’s teeth. Your teen will simply swap out each set for the next in the series, moving the teeth gradually closer to their ideal positions. While Invisalign may not be appropriate for those with severe orthopedic conditions, many teens can safely use Invisalign.
Self-ligating braces use a unique clip to hold the wires that connect the brackets, creating a free-sliding effect that reduces friction and allows for smoother, faster tooth movement. This results in less discomfort and quicker treatment compared to traditional braces. Self-ligating braces eliminate the need for frequent painful adjustments, offering a more comfortable experience by avoiding the pressure and friction caused by elastics and ties in older braces. Self-ligating braces truly are the best braces for teenagers in many cases.
Forsus is an orthodontic appliance that uses springs to correct overbites and guide the jaw. It is similar to standard elastics but requires professional placement. It is especially useful for patients who struggle with regular elastics or have severe overbites. Correcting a teen’s jaw alignment problems early with Forsus can help prevent the need for jaw surgery in the future. Your orthodontist may recommend using this treatment before the teen years if possible.
To shorten the treatment timeline of your teen’s braces treatment, we offer AcceleDent Aura, a hands-free device designed to speed up orthodontic treatment by using micro-pulsation technology to move teeth into place faster. It can reduce the time needed for braces and improve bite and smile quality by up to 50%.
Traditional orthodontic devices shift teeth by applying continuous pressure, which causes the supportive bone to break down and rebuild in new positions. PROPEL accelerates this process using advanced technology. The Excellerator stimulates faster breakdown and remodeling. This allows teeth to shift more quickly than with braces alone.
All of the orthodontic treatment options we offer at Robison Orthodontics are chosen to reduce discomfort and optimize treatment efficiency. We understand that your teen will be excited about their new smile, so we will do our best to work as efficiently as possible without compromising quality.
Orthodontic treatment is as unique as your teenager; depending on the type of braces selected and the severity of the issue, treatment could be complete in as little as 24 weeks. For example, self-ligating braces can finish comparable cases about four months faster than traditional braces with ties. More complicated dental alignment problems could require additional time.
Here’s a timeline that can help you anticipate what you can expect:
The treatment timeline typically begins with a consultation. Robison Orthodontics will assess the teen’s dental and orthodontic needs, discuss treatment goals, and create a customized plan.
The first orthodontic appointment after the consultation will consist of prep and placement.
Before the braces can be placed on the teenager’s teeth, the teeth must be prepped. This involves cleaning and drying the teeth to ensure a clean surface and a stronger bond between the dental appliances and teeth. The orthodontist will then use a special adhesive that bonds the brackets to the surface of individual teeth, which will hold the wire in place.
The orthodontist will then place an archwire through the brackets. If self-ligating clips are used, they will secure the wire without the need for traditional elastics or ties. Then, adjustments are made to the wire to apply the appropriate pressure to move the teeth into position. Finally, the braces are checked to ensure they are properly fitted and comfortable.
Your teen will also receive important information about how to maintain their braces. Our team will take time to explain to your teenager how they should clean and maintain their braces. Oral hygiene is particularly important during orthodontic treatment because plaque and tartar can build up near the metal brackets. Special flossing devices, for example, can be useful for your teenager during their treatment.
Regular check-ups will be scheduled to monitor progress. At this time, the orthodontist will make any necessary adjustments and ensure the braces are functioning as planned.
Once the treatment is complete, the process is reversed. Every component of your teen’s braces will be removed. The teeth are then polished to remove any lingering bonding material.
The best age for a teen to get braces is typically between 10 and 14 years of age. However, some children can benefit from orthodontic treatment even earlier. No matter your teen’s age, it is important to help them monitor their braces wear.
It is important that your teenager refrain from eating sweets and candy if possible. Hard candy can damage components of the braces, and sugar can stick to the appliances and cause tooth decay nearby. Hard foods in general can also lead to braces damage.
If your teen plays contact sports or any activities that could lead to an impact on the face, make sure that your teen wears proper safety equipment, such as a helmet or mouthguard, to reduce the risk of damaging the braces.
If your teenager notices that any part of the braces is damaged, please notify our office immediately. It is important that repairs are completed quickly to both protect the teen’s mouth from injury and to ensure there are no delays in the treatment timeline.
Beginning the process of correcting misaligned teeth can be an exciting time for you and your teen, and the teen years are an optimal time to undergo orthodontic treatment. Although there are many benefits to providing braces for teenagers, parents understandably may have questions and concerns about maintaining the appliances used for the braces.
We offer both braces and Invisalign clear aligners for our teenage patients. Both options deliver drastic cosmetic benefits. Choosing the right product starts with a consultation with our team. We will identify needs and provide options that fit your teen’s specific circumstances.
By working with self-ligating braces, our orthodontist is able to greatly reduce the treatment timeline for teenagers. The complete process can be completed in as few as 24 weeks. We also offer supportive treatments that can further reduce the time it takes for your teen to complete the treatment process.
If you wear your retainer every night, your teeth will stay straight indefinitely. Patients who do not wear their retainers could lose the benefits of straight teeth, as subtle shifting is a natural process that happens to everyone.
In many cases, braces may take a bit longer for adults than for children or teens because adult jaws are less malleable than their younger counterparts. This can mean it will take a little longer for teeth to shift into place. However, treatments like AcceleDent and PROPEL can help remodel the jaw tissue and move teeth more quickly.
Braces are great for your health because they make your teeth easier to clean. This can reduce the occurrence of gum disease and tooth decay. When people have a beautiful smile, they tend to protect that smile by taking extra care when brushing and flossing.
Oral health is linked to overall health. You can reduce your risk of developing health problems, especially problems related to the cardiovascular system, by undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Braces are not as restrictive as some people think, although there are basic precautions your teen should take to avoid damaging their dental appliances. Cutting out hard or sticky candy altogether may be advisable. Your teen should also let you know if something feels wrong with their braces. This could indicate that minor repairs are needed.
Taking your teen to see an orthodontist early can prevent complex dental issues in the future. If you believe your teen could benefit from braces, it is important to consult an orthodontist who can evaluate their teeth and determine if treatments like braces or palate expanders are necessary.
At Robison Orthodontics, our experienced team is ready to guide you through your teen’s orthodontic treatment. We pride ourselves on creating a comfortable office environment and using innovative technologies to help our patients achieve smiles they can be proud of. To learn more about braces for teens or to schedule a consultation, contact our office today.
MON: 7:50 AM – 4:50 PM
TUE: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
WED: 7:50 AM – 4:50 PM
THU: 7:50 AM – 4:50 PM
FRI: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
SAT: Closed
SUN: Closed
