What is the ideal age for my child to get braces?
Many parents ask us on numerous occasions: what is the ideal age to put my child in braces? The truth is that the answer is relative, as in many cases it is necessary to act from the age of 6 when our youngest patients have some bone disharmony.
One of the most frequent anomalies in children is that of the narrow palate. This condition can be caused by many factors, including oral breathing, lack of lip seal, lip hypotonia, atypical swallowing and digital sucking among others. Consequently, if the palate is narrow, the upper teeth bite into the lower teeth, this is called crossbite.
In these cases, in order to solve the bite problem resulting from this narrow palate we place a circuit breaker. The aim of this appliance is to correct the width of the palate, thus resolving the crossbite. This appliance is placed on the molars and is made up of metal or acrylic components, joined together by means of a screw.
What is the circuit breaker for?
This screw is responsible for applying the appropriate force to develop the size of the palate. This is not painful for the child: You will only feel a little pressure each time the circuit breaker is tripped.
The parents will be responsible for activating the circuit breaker at home by following the instructions from your orthodontist. As it is a treatment aimed at children, clinic check-ups and home monitoring are key to the success of the treatment.
Active treatment lasts between 15 and 20 days. During this period palate expansion, The appearance of a gap between the upper incisors, which closes spontaneously 20 to 30 days later, is normal.
After this active period, the circuit breaker is kept in the mouth for 6-8 months, ensuring that new bone is formed and thus guaranteeing the long-term stability of the treatment.
Thus, during the growth stage we provide a solution to a bone problem, something that during adulthood could only be corrected through orthognathic surgery.
