Thursday, November 16, 2017

When to Start Orthodontics

At Dr. Dipika Shah’s Holmdel practice, we want to provide treatment for your entire family with good quality. Part of our exam is to determine whether our patients will need orthodontic treatment and to prepare them for braces or Invisalign. To help patients know what kind of treatment is appropriate, we’ve provided this guide.


Ten or eleven is the usual age to begin braces or Invisalign but children will begin being assessed several years before then. One of our specialties is the use of oral appliances to help combat problems such as tongue thrusting (which can result in malocclusions) and overly narrow jaws. Children may also need early orthodontic treatment if they are suffering from constricted airways or if they have lost a baby tooth before the permanent one was ready to erupt. In that case, they would need a spacer to ensure the permanent tooth will have room. Early adolescence is the recommended age at which to begin braces and Invisalign because the permanent teeth have all erupted but the skull is still somewhat flexible. Adults can undergo orthodontic treatment for misalignments and gap teeth, but guided canine eruption and underbite treatments work best on adolescents.


Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit DentistNJ.com and fill out a contact form.


 

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