Movies from the 1980s and 1990s like “Breakfast Club”, “Goonies”, “Now and Then” and “Freaky Friday” always featured that ‘one teenage kid’ with braces and/or headgear. But braces are not just for teenagers! Today, walk into any elementary school or middle school and you’ll see kids of ALL ages sporting mouths full of gleaming, shiny metal brackets and colorful rubber bands. With so many kids in braces now, you may be wondering, “Exactly how old should my child be for orthodontics in Kyle?”

A Great Age to Start Kyle Braces

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children be screened by an AAO orthodontist at age 7. While that may seem incredibly young, by the age of 7 your child probably has a mix of baby teeth along with a few permanent teeth. A qualified orthodontist can look at your child’s mouth and predict which way the rest of the adult teeth are going to come in and detect any problematic patterns. If treatment is recommended, this beginning phase of orthodontics is generally called, “Phase 1”.

Dr. Oldham says, “Phase 1 focuses on developmental issues. For example, let’s say you have a patient where their upper jaw isn’t growing as fast as their lower jaw; that would be a time when we would need to intervene. Sometimes the canines are impacted, or a kid has a bad crossbite. Both of those things need to be addressed before braces can be put on.”

The only way for an orthodontist to really see what’s going on in your child’s mouth and if they’re ready for Kyle braces is to schedule them for a FREE consultation.

What Happens At Your Child’s Consultation

When you bring your child to see an orthodontist in Kyle for a consultation, they’ll get several x-rays taken from many different angles of their mouth. Panoramic x-rays can show an orthodontist any extra teeth, missing teeth, impacted teeth or teeth coming into the wrong positions.

In addition to X-rays, a Buda/Kyle orthodontist will take pictures of your child’s profile, your child’s smile, and see how their teeth come together. Your orthodontist will perform a thorough oral exam, looking at all your child’s teeth individually and as a whole. In order to get a full picture of what’s going on, your orthodontist in Kyle will either take a mold of your child’s teeth, or scan their teeth with a 3D wand, so a digital 3D model can be rendered right then and there. With all of this information at their fingertips, your orthodontist will be able to tell you if Kyle/Buda orthodontic treatment is recommended right now or in the future. Some kids are ready at age 7 and some still need to lose more baby teeth before they can start braces.

Issues Fixed With Early Treatment

Why is it so important to get a jump start on orthodontic treatment in Kyle? A professional orthodontist can guide the growth of facial and jaw bones into a better pattern and provide more space for incoming permanent teeth. Here are some problems that can be addressed during early treatment:

• Underbites – when the lower front teeth are ahead of the upper front teeth
• Crossbites – when the upper teeth are inside of the lowers
• Functional shift – when the jaw shifts to one side as the teeth come together
• Very crowded teeth
• Tooth ankylosis
• Excessively spaced teeth
• Extra or missing teeth
• Teeth that meet abnormally or don’t meet at all
• Thumb-, finger- or pacifier- sucking that is affecting the teeth or jaw growth

**List taken from the AAO website

If you wait until your child is a teenager to bring them to see a Kyle/Buda orthodontist, they may already have serious, complicated dental issues that need to be corrected with extensive surgery. They could also need their Buda/Kyle braces for much longer than the average length of time (18 months-2 years). When a child comes in at age 7, early problems can be caught and addressed before they become huge problems. A few years after Phase 1, sometimes a child will need Phase 2 or “official braces” for a short period of time when they are older, but these are more for cosmetic reasons and finishing touches.

Why Patients Choose Oldham Family Orthodontics in Kyle

Thinking about getting your child braces in Kyle/Buda? Trust the best orthodontist in Kyle with the combined experience, expertise, and education to give your child a healthy, beautiful smile. At Oldham Family Orthodontics in Kyle, board-certified Kyle orthodontist Dr. Maxwell Oldham strives to provide excellent, expert care for all his patients. Dr. Oldham recommends that patients come in at age 7 for a FREE consultation so nothing gets overlooked or missed.

“As a specialty trained orthodontist, you don’t want to miss the window of opportunity you have to correct some of these issues,” says Dr. Oldham. “As kids mature, you become less able to influence the growth of their bones and unable to correct some dental-tooth eruption patterns. There’s a finite period of time to influence that.”

If you or your child are ready for Kyle/Buda braces or Invisalign in Kyle, schedule a FREE consultation with us! We’ll talk you step-by-step through the whole orthodontic process, and present you with a financial plan that works for your budget. We want both you and your child to feel confident and ready to move forward with orthodontic treatment in Kyle if the time is right. At our office, you’re not just another patient. You’re part of our family!

“I couldn’t be happier with Dr. Oldham and their whole staff! I feel so welcomed every time! And recently had my two littles seen for a consultation, and the experience was so warming! They definitely make you feel like family. Recommend to all my friends and family.” –Google Review from Lorena A.

If you live in Kyle, San Marcos, or Buda, orthodontics has never been easier. 

We provide Kyle/Buda braces and Invisalign in Kyle to kids, teens, and adults. 

Call us today at 512-256-7886 to schedule your FREE orthodontic consultation!