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The Difference Between Braces for Children and Braces for Adults

by | Feb 19, 2017 | Blog | 0 comments

braces for childrenA lot of people wonder about the right timing for orthodontic treatment — is there such a thing? You see people of all ages with dental appliance in their mouths, some metal, some ceramic, some self-ligating; all meant to address issue pertaining to the alignment and arrangement of the teeth in the jaw. Some patients undergo treatment because of an inherent condition, as in the case of those with braces for children. A pediatric patient who have been born with malocclusion problems and teeth issues such as spacing, crowding, crossbite and so forth, may seek orthodontic treatment to enjoy better smiles. Some patients go for the treatment because changes in their mouth, especially after tooth extractions, have prescribed the need for it. Leaving a tooth extraction space open can lead to the drifting, supraeruption and migration of teeth. These will require repositioning and space closure through orthodontics and it is common with adult braces. Dentists treat patients not necessarily with malocclusion or misalignment issues, but often as a pre-requisite for the construction of prosthesis. Orthodontic treatments may proceed different depending on the case at hand. Some cases require pre-treatment with all kinds of dental appliances to expand the arch, distalize the teeth, prevent and correct oral habits and so forth. Many if these appliances are essential and effective before braces for children. Dentists prescribe it to their patients in order to hasten treatment with braces or to make treatment more successful. Like in the case of expansion appliances, it may be the best course rather than extract a tooth to be able to align crowded teeth.

Children and Adult Braces

Dental patients undergoing orthodontic care will know that there is not really much different between children and adult braces. In the general sense, the same materials are used, although child patients may be more inclined to mini brackets and adult patients will find ceramic or clear brackets more appealing, the appliance used is fairly the same — and the same components are used to initiate movement. Much of the difference in treatment will lie on the speed at which results are obtained. You can expect treatments to be faster when you observe results of braces for children. Pediatric patients have developing bones that are more receptive to treatment, so movement is initiated with efficiency. As a matter of fact, the best time to tackle orthodontic issues will be when one is still young and within the growing years because results are best achieved, and they are achieved at record time. The same cannot be said with adult braces. Adult patients can expect lengthier treatments, especially for those involving major movements. The bones are tougher and already fully-developed, so breaking it and then building it back is not as easy. Regardless of the noted differences, both children and adult braces patients can enjoy amazing orthodontic results. Whatever smile issue they have that is related to teeth arrangement may be resolved by dental braces.

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