Orthodontic treatment for teens

Invisalign is a clear plastic aligner system, which is an aesthetic alternative to fixed metal braces. Invisalign is easily removed for eating and drinking, maintaining oral hygiene and playing sports. The aligners must be worn for 22 hours per day to achieve the desired result.

Invisalign Teen is designed for the simplest to the most complex of orthodontic cases. It can treat a full spectrum of teen patients with mild to severe crowding, open bites, crossbites, deep bites and spacing. It generally involves treating the upper and lower jaws. It requires a minimum of 15 aligners which are changed on a 1-2 weekly basis. You will be given several aligners when you attend your orthodontic visits at 6-8 weekly intervals. During your visits, your treatment progress will be monitored. Invisalign ‘Teen’ is also fitted with a compliance indicator, allowing your orthodontist to monitor the overall wear of the aligner ensuring compliance is maintained.

Metal braces are fixed braces or ‘train tracks’ which are used to straighten your teeth. They are glued to your teeth. They are composed of brackets and wires which are held in place with elastic modules which are changed at every visit. These elastic modules also come in a range of colours.

Fixed braces are available in tooth coloured varieties that blend in with the natural colour of teeth. At Colm Smith Dental & Specialist Centre we use American Orthodontics’ Radiance Plus brackets which delivers exceptional results with features other cosmetic brackets just can’t match. Along with these aesthetic brackets we use American Orthodontics’ Iconix Aesthetic Wires offering best-in-class aesthetics to complement all cosmetic bracket treatment options.

Elastic modules are used to hold the wire in place which may stain with tea, coffee, tomato-based foods and curries; these modules are changed at every orthodontic visit.

A functional appliance is a removable appliance brace that works on the upper AND lower teeth at the same time. It utilises the growth phase during puberty in children to correct jaw discrepancies, usually aged 11-13 years in girls and 12-14 years in boys. Whilst these are the average age at which growth occurs, every child is different and you will be advised when it is appropriate to start treatment.

Removable appliances are braces that can be taken in and out of the mouth. They are not glued to the teeth like conventional ‘train track’ braces. They are usually used to aid bite correction or for mild tipping of teeth.