Most teens and parents usually come in seeking straight teeth and a healthy bite. Braces for teens options range from regular metal braces to clear braces or a clear aligner system such as Invisalign or SPARK.
We get this question asked by parents almost every day. The type of Braces that are most suitable can be divided into early (12-15 years), middle (15-16 years) to late teens (17-18 years). It is important to realise these are approximate guidelines and what is most important is their bone age. This assessment can only be made when they attend for a consultation and with proper diagnosis.
Yes, if your son or daughter has an underlying jaw problem, it does make a difference when they start treatment, with earlier treatment leading to better outcomes.
At 12-15 years, most teens have all their adult teeth through. Braces for teens at 12-15 years is at a time when their jaws are still developing. There is potential to correct narrow jaws, overbites and deep bites. Braces for teens appliance options include jaw guidance solutions e.g., wearing a fixed or removable custom plate.
Correcting jaws where there are jaw problems allows your son and daughter to obtain ideal smiles outcomes.
This age may be too late to offer jaw guidance options if your son or daughter has an underbite. This is because the areas where the jaw bones connect with other jaw bones ie: sutures, start to harden. In these situations, we may need to monitor his/ her growth till there is no further changes in the jaw position, before commencing orthodontic treatment.
There are a variety of appliance options you can choose from including clear braces, self ligating braces, to invisible options like clear removable aligners ie: Spark®.
Which is the most effective and efficient for your smile and bite correction depends on the crowding and spacing present in your teeth and the type of teeth movements planned. Generally speaking, the above orthodontic appliances are restricted to mainly moving teeth.