Pediatric orthodontic treatments are quite popular nowadays in the United States. Nearly 3.9 million kids are having such treatments for fixing teeth misalignment or replacing crooked/lost teeth.
Kids mostly inherit orthodontic problems and sometimes develop these by doing things like- poor dental hygiene, losing baby teeth without maintaining any synchronization, thumb or finger sucking, poor nutrition, having accidents, mouth breathing and abnormal swallowing.
Your kids can also get pediatric orthodontic treatments done to have perfectly aligned teeth and jaw, which will help them to have a healthy mouth as well as functional bite. Also, treating early always means treating with less difficulty and complications.
In modern dentistry, orthodontics has developed a lot and there are multiple options available for children. The 5 most common pediatric orthodontic treatments are discussed briefly below to give you an idea.
The following treatments are discussed in this blog-
- Traditional Full Braces.
- Retainers.
- Veneers.
- Space maintainers.
- Bionators.
Traditional Full Braces
Installing traditional metal braces is the most suitable teeth alignment treatment option for kids. Braces will make your kids’ teeth fit back into their actual position and make the jaw aligned. As the jaw grows till age 10 to 12, getting braces just after the growth stops is perfect in every aspect. But clear aligners or ceramic braces aren’t appropriate for kids. Clear aligners do not last as long as metal braces, their removable nature is risky for kids, and these aligners cannot fix all the teeth at a time.
Retainers
When the teeth get perfectly aligned after completing brace treatment, retainers are used to keep the teeth in place. Retainers prevent teeth from going back to their odd positions. Kids can have retainer when the problem is minor and doesn’t really require braces to get fixed. This is one of the very effective pediatric orthodontic treatments.
Veneers
In case of missing or cracked teeth, veneers are used to fill the existing gap. Although a dental implant is considered the best option for replacing teeth, porcelain veneers are more appropriate for kids. Because veneers look equally natural yet do not mess up with the jaw and take less time.
Space Maintainers
Baby teeth can often fall off earlier than usual. Then teeth can grow back in an unwanted manner and lead to filling the position of other teeth. To stop these uneven teeth from growing, space maintainers are used. These small dental devices help to maintain the required space between teeth by not letting surrounding teeth to block the space of other teeth.
Bionators
To pull forward kids’ jaws, bionators are used during pediatric orthodontic treatments. This unique device consists of two fixed acrylic-made parts and among those parts- one is lied upon on the lower part of the teeth and the other is leaned behind the front part of the teeth. This is totally removable and has multifunctional use.
So, these are the 5 most common pediatric orthodontic treatments available for kids. You can also read our previous blogs on why straight teeth matters to learn the importance of orthodontic treatments. Your kids might require any of these according to their conditions. Feel free to reach Next Generation Dental. Our expert dentists would love to discuss your kids’ need with you and help you to choose the most appropriate solution.
