Problems with malocclusion can occur at any age. If you do not pay due attention to this problem in time, the teeth may begin to decay and fall out. To prevent such a development of events, dentists recommend using special bracket systems to restore a beautiful smile and prevent the development of various diseases associated with malocclusion. Thinking about at what age you can put braces for an adult? You will find the answer in our article.
Varieties of orthodontic systems
At what age can braces be placed on a child? This question can often be heard in the dentist's office. The answer to it will depend on the type of orthodontic system that you plan to use. Some of them are designed to correct teeth and are suitable even for an old man, others are designed to eliminate serious malocclusion in childhood and adolescence. Therefore, the choice of a particular system is based not only on the personal preferences of the patient, but also on the individual characteristics of the body.
- Metal system. This type of braces is attached to the outer surface of the teeth and is quite noticeable during conversations. The period of adaptation of the body to the system is quite short - 5-7 days. The course of therapy usually lasts from 1 to 3 years. A fairly reliable option, which guarantees an almost one hundred percent result.
- Ceramic system. The undoubted advantage of these braces is that they are almost invisible (although fastening is carried out from the outside of the teeth). A similar effect is achieved through the use of ceramics in various shades. The adaptation period for such a system is from 1 to 2 weeks. Therapy usually ends after 2-4 years. As for reliability, it is quite high, but still less than in the previous version.
- Lingual system. These metal braces are attached to the inner surface of the teeth and are completely invisible when communicating or smiling. The adaptation period can last from two weeks to a month. In addition, the course of therapy is usually at least 5 years. The reliability of the system is quite low, so most dentists recommend considering this option last.
From what age you can put braces on a child will depend on the kind of system that his parent chooses. To make dental braces as effective as possible, dentists strongly recommend consulting an experienced specialist. The more attention you pay to this issue, the less your child will have to wear braces.
Maximum age for braces
And at what age can braces be placed for a man or woman who are already in adulthood, but who need to correct their bite? To answer this question, the patient must realize that bracket systems are a universal method for eliminating any problems associated with malocclusion. A similar trend is due to the special mechanism that is used in orthodontic braces. Braces are able to change the location of even those teeth that erupted for a long time. Therefore, the age of a person does not limit the dentist in any way in recommending the installation of a bracket system to the patient.
Another thing is if a person suffers from pronounced tooth deformations. In this case, the installation of brackets can lead to reconstruction of the jaw bone and the walls of the alveoli. Therefore, sometimes it can be impossible to correct the bite even in adolescence. Remember that exposure to the jaw apparatus is a rather painful procedure. If braces are placed on a patient with a serious tooth displacement, this can lead to severe pain. Therefore, be sure to consult your dentist before agreeing to the procedure.
Optimum age for brackets
Thinking about at what age you can put braces on a child? Most dentists believe that such a procedure can only be carried out in a stronger body, whose age is at least eight years. However, it is so early to resort to the installation of bracket systems only if the child has severe deformations of the maxillofacial apparatus, which can harm the baby in the future. The most common indications for using staples are the following factors:
- malocclusion, which lead to permanent injuries of the tongue and cheeks;
- serious problems with chewing food and swallowing it;
- pronounced speech or breathing disorders;
- aggravated facial asymmetry.
As for the recommended age for installing the bracket system, then doctors consider it 12-14 years old as the best option. By this time, most children have a permanent bite, so the dentist can confidently confirm the presence of certain deformities. In addition, the teeth of a teenager can almost completely change their position, so wearing braces will not cause the child almost any discomfort.
Features of installing braces after 25 years
Now you know at what age you can put braces on a childās teeth. However, in some cases, a similar procedure is required for an adult. How to be a young man of twenty-five, in whom malocclusion was detected? Everything is very simple. Treatment with orthodontic braces can be carried out at any age, but the result will be achieved much faster in adolescence than in adults. In addition, teeth in a strengthened body can return to their previous position even after several years of wearing braces, so the patient will have to put on a special mouth guard for some time before going to bed.
However, each patient should understand that the installation of bracket systems for an adult organism is much more complicated than in adolescents. This trend is due to many dental problems that are characteristic of this age: tooth decay, caries, thinning of enamel and so on. Therefore, before installing an orthodontic design, it is so important to undergo an examination with a dentist. In some cases, it may turn out that the person in the mouth simply does not have enough space to install the braces. Correcting such a defect is possible only with the help of surgical intervention and special procedures that are aimed at changing the shape and size of the jaw.
What determines the effectiveness of therapy?
Many patients wonder at what age adult braces can be placed on teeth. If you decide on a similar procedure, then you should choose a suitable orthodontic system that will not only satisfy your personal preferences, but also prevent the development of various disorders of the chewing apparatus. The effectiveness of the therapy will depend on the following factors:
- the absence of serious violations in the structure of the jaw;
- correctly selected orthodontic system;
- proper and thorough care for braces;
- high-quality installation of braces;
- condition of teeth.
So, if you donāt have any congenital abnormalities, and your teeth are not very crooked, then you can safely install braces in adulthood. The main thing is to properly care for the braces and follow all the recommendations of your attending dentist. In this case, the course of therapy will be no more than two years, and adaptation to the bracket system will be as quick as possible.
Selecting discreet braces for an adult
If you ask your doctor about the age at which braces are too late, they will most likely ask you to demonstrate the condition of your teeth. Remember that even an old man can install an orthodontic system if it does not harm the patientās health. However, during installation, you should also choose the appropriate model based on the doctorās recommendations and your own preferences.
For example, today plastic braces are very popular. As a rule, they are used for a small correction of the bite and are installed on the front of the dentition. The disadvantage of such a system is its excessive fragility. But the patient can pick up such braces that will be fully combined with the shade of his teeth, which will make wearing braces almost imperceptible.
If you do not want to risk your budget by installing plastic braces, then you can use the sapphire version. Such an orthodontic system is slightly more expensive than a plastic one, but it has much greater durability. In addition, the locks of the brackets are made of transparent material, so their wearing is almost imperceptible. The sapphire system does not irritate the mucous membrane and does not destroy tooth enamel.
Limitations for installing orthodontic braces
In our article, we tried to analyze in detail the question of at what age it is possible to put braces in order to correct a bite. However, age is far from the only restriction that the patient should take into account. Dentists do not recommend installing them if there are certain factors. These usually include:
- gum pathology (periodontitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease) - due to inflammatory processes, bone tissues can begin to break down, and if you take into account the increased load from braces, the process will not take long;
- pathologies of the nominal system (diabetes mellitus) - such diseases can worsen trophism in dental tissues, which is why wearing braces can lead not to tooth displacement, but to tooth loss;
- lack of several teeth - when removing several jaw units, a problem may arise with the fixation of the orthodontic system or the likelihood that the jaw will begin to deform.
In addition, most dentists strongly discourage the use of bracket systems for patients who wear implants. Staples can lead to deformation of the pin, due to which the artificial tooth will become unusable.
Braces for teens
Thinking about at what age it is better to put braces on a girl or boy? As a rule, it is best to carry out this procedure in adolescence, when the tooth roots are well formed and can withstand a large load. In addition, the soft tissues of a twelve-year-old child are very malleable, so wearing braces will not cause severe pain, as can happen if the system is installed in an adult.
However, the specialist may refuse to install brackets if the teenager has an imbalance in the muscles of the oral cavity. In addition, various abnormalities of the teeth or underdevelopment of the jaw can become a limiting factor - and this is not a whim of a specialist. If the bracket system is installed on teeth that cannot withstand its load, sooner or later this will lead to deformation of the jaw or destruction of its units.
Of course, the question of at what age you can put braces on a teenagerās teeth is quite correct in itself, but do not forget about the various restrictions that are described in this and the previous section. Otherwise, you risk dooming your child to discomfort in the oral cavity or even tooth loss. So be sure to consult with an experienced specialist before deciding to install brackets. It is necessary to strictly follow all its recommendations.
Correction Dates
As a rule, children, adolescents and young people (up to 25 years old) wear braces from 1 to 1.5 years to achieve dental correction. In older patients, this period can last from 2 to 3 years. This trend is usually due to the following reasons:
- developed root system is difficult to deform;
- in adults, tooth growth stops;
- over the years, metabolism slows down.
Also, do not forget that some bracket systems are designed for longer wear. For example, lingual braces do not cause such discomfort and are almost invisible when communicating, however, for such advantages you will have to pay for the fact that they usually wear for five years. In addition, such a system is more expensive than any other, so the final choice is always left to the patient.
Conclusion
The article answers the question at what age can braces be put in order to correct a bite. If this information did not seem enough to you, then you can watch a short video in which a professional orthodontist talks about when it is best to put braces on the patient. Do not forget to consult your dentist before deciding to install braces for yourself or your child.