Treatment Options - Adolescent Treatment

Adolescence is the ideal time to commence orthodontic treatment as this is most often when all the permanent teeth are present and the jaws are still showing signs of growth.

Luckily, image conscious teens can now choose from a wide variety of options to straighten their teeth, including tooth coloured or clear brackets and coloured bands and plates – making braces a whole lot more fun!

Brackets attached to each tooth are the most common form of braces used at this age and are usually placed between the ages of 12-15 years.

How long does treatment take?

Although every case is different, generally speaking, patients wear braces for between two to three years. Patients usually finish treatment on time with good results if they have actively co-operated. This involves brushing and flossing thoroughly and regularly, avoiding hard, crunchy and sticky foods, wearing their rubber bands and/or headgear as instructed and keeping their appointments.

How do braces feel?

Most people experience some discomfort initially after braces are fitted, or after a major adjustment. This is usually felt as tenderness to biting or chewing pressure lasting approximately 3-5 days. This discomfort is usually short lived and easily managed and the staff at Orthoworld are highly trained to assist with this settling in stage.

Retention

Once your active treatment is completed and your teeth are straight, it is important to keep them that way. To accomplish this retainers are worn although some deterioration of alignment of your teeth is a natural aging change. To help minimize this Orthoworld offers both removable plates and fixed retainers that are attached to the back of the teeth. While drifting of teeth back to their original position is often eliminated within two years, deterioration due to late adolescent growth generally only reduces in the early 20’s. Orthoworld patients are encouraged to continue retention until at least this age.