Patients with misaligned teeth are often self-conscious about their smile: shifted, crooked, or overcrowded teeth impact the symmetry of your mouth, affecting how your smile looks. For teenagers worried about their looks, this is a top concern. So, once they reach these years, the idea of getting braces with a pediatric dentist in Pearl City may feel intriguing.
However, getting braces is much more than a cosmetic treatment; it’s an important step to improving oral health for years to come. While we always recommend getting braces while the patient is younger, it’s never too late to get the orthodontic treatment that they need.
Understanding the Importance of Braces Treatments
Braces are a type of orthodontic treatment that helps align teeth and correct bite issues, improving oral health and function. Whether the problem is overcrowded teeth, gaps, or misalignment, braces use pressure to move each tooth subtly until you achieve a healthier and more confident mouth.
Fixing smile misalignments with braces offers both cosmetic and functional benefits. Misaligned teeth often create tight spaces that are hard to clean, increasing the risk of plaque accumulation, cavities, and gum disease. To prevent all of these issues and keep a clean environment, dentists recommend getting this treatment as soon as possible.
Additionally, crooked or misaligned teeth may rub against each other, causing premature enamel wear. This malocclusion can also lead to TMJ disorders, as it puts extra pressure on the jaw joint.
In the long run, braces can help prevent future dental issues, such as chipping, decay, or shifting later in life. Proper alignment also helps distribute chewing forces evenly, protecting teeth from fractures and damage—and offering a cohesive, good-looking smile.
Why Is It Recommended to Get Braces as a Child?
When their permanent teeth erupt, and orthodontic problems become noticeable, most kids receive braces. Usually, this occurs between the ages of nine and 14. Getting braces during childhood is often recommended because early intervention offers more effective, efficient, and lasting orthodontic outcomes.
Some of the reasons why this is beneficial include:
- Children’s jaws are still growing, which allows orthodontists to influence the growth patterns more easily. This is especially important for procedures like correcting skeletal discrepancies, such as overbites and underbites, or creating space for permanent teeth to erupt properly.
- The bones and ligaments in children are more malleable than in adults. This means teeth move faster and respond better to braces, and there tends to be less discomfort during adjustments.
- By starting early, dentists can also track how adult teeth are coming in, intercept crowding or spacing issues, and follow key stages of dental development.
Can Teenagers Still Get Braces?
Yes, teenagers can get braces, too—in fact, they may even be able to ensure a more successful treatment, as they can better maintain good oral hygiene habits.
Teenagers are still developing, and their bones are malleable enough to adapt to movements quickly. Additionally, nowadays, there are various brace options for teenagers who are concerned about their looks.
Each type of brace offers unique benefits, and understanding the choices helps parents decide what’s best. Some types of braces include:
- Traditional Metal Braces: These are the brackets attached to the front of your teeth and connected with a metal wire.
- Clear Ceramic Braces: These are an aesthetic alternative to metal braces because the brackets are see-through, allowing them to blend seamlessly with your teen’s smile.
- Invisalign® or Clear Aligners: These consist of trays that move teeth by exerting subtle pressure. Every two to three weeks, patients need to change to a new set of trays.
- Lingual Braces: This option is nearly invisible because the brackets are positioned behind the teeth. They work well for teen braces without sacrificing the aesthetics of conventional orthodontics.
How Long Do Braces Last for Teenagers?
Treatment with braces typically takes several years to finish. However, it depends on how bad the misalignment is. Some patients complete their treatment in less than a year. Others require more time.
How to Convince Your Teen to Get Braces
Convincing your teen to get braces can be tricky, especially if they’re anxious about appearance, discomfort, or social stigma. But with the right approach, you can turn resistance into understanding and even enthusiasm about how their new smile will look.
To help you, here are some tips on how to convince your teen to get braces:
- Educate Them About the Benefits: Start by focusing on how braces can improve looks and health. Teens often respond well to practical, future-oriented reasoning.
- Listen to Their Concerns Without Judgment: Teenagers have concerns, and if you want to have an honest conversation with them, these must be heard. Ask them openly about their worries and let them express fears—whether it’s about pain, food restrictions, or being teased. Whatever challenge you face during your braces journey, facing them together will help ensure success.
- Discuss Available Options: Nowadays, more options are available besides the old metal brackets. If aesthetics is their biggest concern, explore them together. Allowing them to pick what type of braces they receive can let them feel in control of the decision and reduce resistance.
- Be Honest About Timing & Cost: Teens appreciate honesty. Say so if you’re choosing braces now because it’s the ideal developmental window, or financially feasible. They’re more likely to cooperate when they understand the why behind your decision.
Accompany Your Teen During Their Braces Journey with a Pediatric Dentist in Pearl City
The decision to get braces can be especially difficult for a teen, but it can have several long-term benefits. An attractive smile can enhance social interactions, public speaking, and job prospects, particularly in industries where personal appearance and communication matter.
While they’re teens, they are still at the ideal age to make this journey quicker, cleaner, and free of struggle. If you’d like to learn what the braces treatment looks like for your teenagers, contact KidShine Pediatric Dental Group to schedule an appointment!
*Invisalign®, the Invisalign logo, and iTero®, among others, are trademarks and/ or service marks of Align Technology, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies and may be registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.