How do you know if you need braces?
Braces are often used to correct misaligned teeth.
If you or your child needs braces, the process can be expensive, time-consuming, and inconvenient. But braces do have a high success rate, and they can give you oral health benefits beyond just a perfect smile.
Braces are most often used during childhood or early adolescence. Adults are also wearing braces more frequently. In fact, 20% of people who wear braces today are adults.
If you believe you or a family member could benefit from braces, it's better to know sooner rather than later.
Signs You Need Braces
Signs that an adult needs braces may vary based on age and overall dental health. Adult braces are becoming more common, and the results of adult braces are mostly positive.
A 1998 survey concluded that needing braces is more common than not needing them, estimating that only 35% of adults have correctly aligned teeth.
Symptoms that may indicate you need braces include:
- Teeth that are noticeably crooked or crowded
- Difficulty flossing between crooked teeth and brushing around them
- Biting your tongue often or cutting your teeth with your tongue
- Teeth do not close properly when your mouth rests
- Certain sounds are difficult to pronounce because the tongue is under the teeth
- Your jaw clicks or makes a sound when you chew or when you first wake up
- Your jaw feels stressed or tired after chewing food
How do you tell if your child needs braces?
It can be a little hard to tell if your child needs braces. If your child's baby teeth are crooked or crowded, it may be a sign that they will need braces in the future.
Other signs include:
- breathe through mouth
- A jaw that clicks or makes other sounds
- Tend to accidentally bite the tongue, roof of the mouth, or inside of the cheek
- Thumb sucking or pacifier use over 2 years of age
- Baby teeth falling out too early or too late
- Even if the mouth is fully closed, the teeth will not come together
- Crooked or crowded teeth
Malnutrition in infancy and early childhood, poor dental hygiene, and genetic factors are all reasons why children and adults will eventually need braces.
When to go to the dentist
The American Academy of Orthodontics recommends that all children make an appointment with an orthodontist by the age of 7. The logic behind this recommendation is that when the need for braces is discovered, early treatment can improve outcomes.
Even children whose teeth are not significantly crowded or tilted can benefit from an examination by an orthodontist.
The best age to wear braces varies from person to person. In most cases, braces treatment begins between the ages of 9 and 14, when the child's permanent teeth begin to appear.
But for some people, treatment with braces as a child isn't possible. Whether because of cost, inconvenience, or lack of diagnosis, many people have to postpone orthodontic treatment until adulthood.
Technically speaking, you are never too old to wear braces. However, this does not mean that you should continue to postpone treatment.
When you're ready for treatment for crowded or crooked teeth, you can schedule an appointment. You usually don't need a referral from your dentist to make an appointment with an orthodontist.
Keep in mind that as you age, your jaw will continue to grow, which may cause your teeth to become more crowded or narrow. If you wait to treat your bite or crooked teeth, the problem will not improve or resolve on its own.
The sooner you talk to a professional about getting braces, the better.
Are there alternatives to braces?
Metal braces, ceramic braces, and invisible braces are the most common types of orthodontic treatment.
The only real alternative to braces is orthodontic surgery.
This surgery may be a minor procedure that changes the way the teeth line up in the mouth. It can also be a more serious procedure, where surgery repositions your jaw to better accommodate speaking and chewing.
in conclusion
Crooked and crowded teeth are traditional signs that you or your child may need braces.
But crooked teeth or an overbite aren’t the only signs that you need braces. Another theory is that you need to wait until all of your child's permanent teeth have grown in to determine if your child needs braces.
