Consultant Specialist Orthodontist with over 25 years' experience
When your general dentist tells you that your child needs braces, it can feel like the beginning of a long journey.
Although extremely common among children and adolescents, orthodontic or metal braces are hardly popular. Many parents worry about potential backlash from their children if they insist on them wearing the metal aligner, but it is important to see things in perspective.
At Orthodontist London, we have over 25 years experience of fitting children with braces; we know the challenges parents face and we know how to help them manage the change to their child's dental routine. Our head consultant, Mary Lo, orthodontist in Marylebone, will be able to discuss with you which type of brace is best suited to your child's needs and will ensure that they get straighter teeth in no time at all!
But what are the other benefits of having your child's brace fitted by Mary Lo, orthodontist in Marylebone?
Correcting habits
Although they are often regarded as sweet, childhood habits, if your child sucks their thumb excessively, or chews their fingers or their lips, this could be a sign that they need to have braces.
Misaligned teeth create additional pressure in the mouth, so children, subconsciously, try to correct the pressure by sucking their thumbs or biting their fingers and other objects.
Our head consultant, Mary Lo, orthodontist in Marylebone has seen these potentially harmful habits vanish once a child begins to wear braces, meaning it is a worthwhile investment in the long run.
Lowers trauma risk
If your child has crowded teeth that protrude, they are at a higher risk of injuring their inner lips and teeth when they fall.
This not only increases the chance of damage to the sensitive inner lip, but also makes damage to the protruding teeth much more likely. When a metal brace is fitted, it starts to work within hours and reduces the risk of catastrophic injury.
Correcting growth
It is worth considering braces for your child, not only to correct the growth of their adult teeth, but to also help with the correct growth of their jaws.
Wearing a brace also regulates upper and lower arch growth, meaning that your child's mouth will be more symmetrical and have more room for adult teeth to grow into their correct position.
Prevents excessive dental procedures in adulthood
A child's teeth and mouth are more malleable than that of teenagers and adults, so undertaking braces at a young age has a lot of long term benefits.
Straighter teeth from a young age reduces the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, extractions and even helps correct speech and breathing problems.
Improve appearance long term
We all know how having straighter teeth improves your smile, but were you aware that having straighter teeth, aligned arches and jaws also improves facial symmetry?
After your child has undertaken braces, their faces will be visibly straighter, they will have better oral hygiene and they won't find it so hard to breathe due to overcrowding in their mouths.
