Types Of Orthodontics For Children: Removable And Fixed
The different types of orthodontics for children focus on correcting skeletal and facial development difficulties. It is very important to visit the dentist since your child is very young, so you will avoid major complications in dental development. However, each child may need different orthodontic work. Here are some tips for you to differentiate the types and their functions.
What problems does children’s orthodontics correct?
Children’s orthodontics have a greater effect than dental work in adulthood. This is because the jawbones are in full growth, and the teeth have not yet assumed a fixed position. Orthodontic treatments can correct dental position and guide the exact eruption of permanent teeth.
In addition, thanks to orthodontics, cases of cross bite, narrow palate and alignment are solved. As adults these problems are very difficult to correct. For this reason, it is essential that your child receives the most appropriate type of orthodontics for children at the correct age.
The first visit to the orthodontist
The ideal age for the first visit to the orthodontist is 5 or 7 years. In this review, the position of the maxillary bones and the correct eruption of the teeth, as well as the state of the bite, can be examined. This is when the first molars and incisors come out. The bones are still moldable and the teeth can move easily.
Preventive orthodontics
Not all cases require dental appliance treatments. However, in these situations it is called preventive orthodontics. The specialist intervenes to correct some harmful habits that negatively influence subsequent dental development. For example, the habit of sucking the thumb, the continuous habit of the bottle, the pacifier or oral breathing.
These actions can cause open bite, maxillary protrusion, a narrow and deformed palate. Given this, the first visit to the orthodontist is essential.
Types of orthodontics for children
There are different dental appliances focused on making corrections in the teeth and some in the facial skull development. To find out which one your child needs, the specialist conducts a study to observe the degree of the anomaly.
It is necessary to do a series of diagnostic tests such as panoramic radiography, intraoral and extraoral photographs. In this way, the specialist will guide an orthodontic plan. Although the treatment may vary depending on the age of the child.
Removable appliances
These devices are used to correct specific alterations, and their success will depend on their constant use. This means that the more hours you use them the better the result. They are generally made of acrylic materials. These types of orthodontics for children are held in place by metal hooks on the molars.
This type of appliance is much more comfortable for them because they can take it off to eat or brush their teeth. However, it takes responsibility so they don’t forget to put it on. Therefore, you must make him aware that each time he forgets it, he will lengthen the process.
The removable ones can be two kinds: for day and night or just to wear during the night. The nocturnal is recommended for cases in which little modification is required.
Fixed appliances
Fixed appliances are held on the teeth. The best known are braces, although there are several types that correct or redirect bone growth.
This kind of orthodontics is made up of small iron plates that adhere to the teeth on the outside. Two very thin strips join them all, one for the lower ones and one for the higher ones. It is these strips that are responsible for modifying the teeth, and the specialist must tighten or loosen them regularly so that they fulfill their function.
Among these fixed appliances is cosmetic or sapphire orthodontics. In this case, the brackets are completely transparent, do not stain and are very resistant. Even the arches are usually crystalline, so this treatment requires specific care to obtain quick results.
It is essential that if your child uses one of these types of orthodontics for children, you teach him the importance of maintaining good hygiene.
