Orthodontic care is often associated with teens, and that’s not without cause! Though people of all ages, from as young as seven to as old as 90, younger patients are perfect orthodontic candidates and can improve your teen’s quality of life in many ways. Let’s check a few of the most common reasons parents and guardians seek orthodontic work for their teens at Davis & Goldberg Orthodontics.
Easier To Maintain Oral Hygiene
It’s no secret that mouths with straighter teeth are healthier, but why? Well, malocclusion (misaligned teeth) creates hard-to-reach nooks and crannies where food, bacteria, and plaque can build up. Over time, these hidden threats could cause bad breath, tooth decay, gum disease, infections, and other issues. If left untreated, oral health concerns have the potential to cause permanent damage to your teeth and gums, including (but limited to) tooth loss!
If your teen struggles to perform thorough oral hygiene, they will quickly associate negative emotions (like frustration) with oral hygiene. These feelings can demotivate them and make it a challenge for you to help them develop healthy, consistent habits. Teens who feel discomfort or pain in their mouth or jaw are also less likely to be enthusiastic about performing their routine twice daily.
Orthodontic care can help by aligning their teeth and eliminating both pain and frustration. Plus, if your kid likes what they see in the mirror, they will be excited about brushing and flossing to maintain their look!
Reduces Risk Of Damage
If your teen is active, protruding teeth are more likely to become chipped, broken, or experience trauma injury. Overcrowded or overly spaced-out teeth can grind and rub against each other, especially subconsciously at night (bruxism). This friction can wear down the enamel and leave your teen vulnerable to bacteria, plaque, and tartar that can cause infection, tooth decay, gum disease, and more.
Braces can align the teeth and straighten protruding teeth, protecting them from sudden or gradual damage! It helps to reduce the pain of bruxism and the potential of developing TMJ, an uncomfortable lifetime condition in the jaw joint!
Better Mental Health
Misaligned teeth and jaw can negatively influence your teen’s mental health by affecting their quality of life. Though we at Davis & Goldberg Orthodontics always encourage our patients to feel confident in themselves before treatment even begins, we understand it can be hard to feel confident or have high self-esteem when you look or feel different than your peers.
When your teen doesn’t like what they see in the mirror, it can lead to low self-esteem and isolation, eventually becoming anxiety and depression. This test reported that a conventionally attractive smile was associated with confidence, success, good health, cleanliness, and happiness. Because of these beliefs, people with straight teeth easily make friends, get dates, and receive job offers after face-to-face interviews.
Poor alignment can also lead to breathing problems, like sleep apnea, and communication issues, like a lisp or unintentional spitting. Fatigue and struggles to speak or be understood can lead to irritability, isolation, poor performance in hobbies or academics, and depression.
Less Invasive
Though orthodontic work is possible in all age groups, and no set age is “perfect” for treatment, teens are great candidates! As you age, orthodontic work becomes more complicated because your bones have set and solidified. The jaw bones of teens are still developing, so performing treatment on them is much easier and can be done quicker and with simpler methods.
For example, consider a teen and an adult with the same issue. The teenager could undergo a simple, non-invasive treatment, such as braces or Invisalign, but the adult could need more complex treatments like pulling teeth, cosmetic surgery, corrective jaw surgery, or other invasive procedures! While an extreme example, it is still true! Let’s say they could both use Invisalign for their malocclusion. The teen could finish treatment in less time than the adult. In both scenarios, receiving orthodontic work at a younger age saves time and money down the road!
Visit Davis & Goldberg Orthodontics To Find Out How Braces Can Benefit Your Teen!
The best way to find out how braces can benefit your teen is to visit Davis & Goldberg Orthodontics and receive a free consultation! Our team is passionate about transforming lives through smiles, and we would love to help your family!
To get your teen’s orthodontic journey started, contact our High Point or Greensboro offices to speak to a team member! You can also click here to download your patient forms and here for insurance information!
You’ll quickly notice a positive change in your teen during treatment, and you will both be glad you took the leap! We hope to see you soon!