Children's Braces in Leicester

Children's Braces

The early development of a child’s teeth is important in determining how their teeth will continue to develop into adulthood. Warning Signs can start to show around the ages of 7-8 as they will have already started to have their permanent teeth come through (starting around age 6!). We recommend regular visits to the dentist at this age so we can ensure their teeth are coming in nicely and spot any potential future problems they may have.

Our friendly dentists have had many years of experience treating children and will be able to spot any warning signs with their teeth, reducing the chance of a serious condition developing as they grow up.

When Should Your Child See An Orthodontic Dentist?

Some of the early warning signs to look our for include:

• Crooked/Crowded/Wonky teeth
• Protruding teeth
• Early (before 4) or late (7-8) loss of their baby teeth
• Chewing/Biting difficulty
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Thumb/finger sucking – Severe cases of this can cause the front teeth to eventually stick out
• Enamel wear (teeth look worn, signs of discoloration to yellow)

Any of the signs above could give us an early indication that braces may be required during a later stage of their childhood – between 9-14)

We always recommend that it is best for a child to undergo an orthodontic treatment when they are still growing, as problems that are left till adulthood will require more extensive work and can take considerably longer to complete.

What Braces Do We Offer For Children?

We offer an extensive range of orthodontic braces to treat many different needs. All of the braces that we have on offer to adults, are also available to children. Depending on the exact problems with your child’s teeth, some braces will be more suitable than others. Every case is different, so we offer free consultations to examine your child’s case and offer you the most suitable treatment for them.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my teeth not straight?

There are many causes  of overcrowding, gaps and crooked teeth. For some people it can be inherited or possibly acquired, either due to a habit (sucking of the thumb, prolonged use of a dummy) or because of the premature loss of milk teeth or adult teeth.

What can be treated?

Orthodontic treatments have evolved enormously over the last 20 years. Now problems such as gaps between the teeth, crowded teeth, overbite (upper teeth covering the majority of the lower ones), open bite (upper and lower teeth almost don’t touch) and cross bites can all be treated.

What will the impact of orthodontic treatment be?

Orthodontic problems can have a profound impact on a person and their social and professional life. Depending on the extent of a problem, a person may even be too ashamed to smile. Effective orthodontic treatment not only improves the dento-facial appearance, but also goes a long way to improving the patient’s self-confidence.

Should teeth be straightened for health reasons?

The correcting of poor dental positioning has the added benefit of improving oral hygiene as crowded or crooked teeth are often hard to clean properly. With such an improvement in a patient’s oral hygiene, the risk of gum disease for example – which can result in loss of teeth in extreme cases – is prevented.

What other benefits does teeth straightening offer?

Orthodontic treatment improves chewing efficiency by re-establishing the correct relationship between lower and upper teeth, removing the difficulty a patient may have when chewing certain kinds of food and so providing better nutrition.

In some cases, orthodontics can also prevent complications in the temporomandibular joint (the joint which joins the jaw to the skull). Chronic pain in the head, face, neck or ears, as well as dizziness, nausea and restricted ability to open and close the mouth can originate here.