Our team members here in Reading are experts in children’s orthodontal appliances and can offer your child the correct course of treatment, taking a range of factors into account. Take a look at our selection of children’s braces below.
Removable plastic braces
For children aged between 9 – 12, we would normally use removable braces. These braces are lightweight and discreet and designed to be worn both night and day and making more room for your child’s adult teeth to grow through. Removable braces can also be used to improve your child’s bite (how the teeth look and work effectively together).
Early use of removable plastic braces can help to lay foundations for future treatment and can remove the need to extract adult teeth later on down the line.
Occasionally we may use a small fixed brace to deal with a displaced front tooth in younger patients, which means the problem is dealt with straight away rather than waiting until all the adult teeth are through. We can often correct these problems in a matter of months.
Functional braces
Functional braces can help to manage problems with your child’s bite. The most common bite issue in the UK is upper front teeth that protrude. This is not only a potential source of concern as it can have a big effect on your child’s confidence, but could mean a more complicated or longer treatment if not treated early enough. The ideal time for functional brace treatment is during growth, but social pressure means there is often a short window of opportunity to use this brace.
Although these braces are designed to be worn on the top and bottom teeth simultaneously full time (night and day) and will correct the bite if worn well, they won’t correct the alignment of the teeth. Following the bite correction many children will have to continue with fixed braces to get full alignment of their teeth.
Fixed braces
Fixed braces are usually used once all of your child’s adult teeth have emerged. These braces are secured to your child’s teeth and gradually align the adult teeth into a healthy and aesthetic-looking smile.
There are several types of braces available, though one of the most fun and fashionable choices for children is a metal brace system that uses brightly coloured bands.
Many teenagers and older children are a little more self-conscious about wearing braces and may prefer cosmetic fixed braces, as these will blend in with their smile more effectively.
Invisalign braces
Invisalign has now treated over 4 million people worldwide, including a number of celebrities. Children over the age of 11 can wear Invisalign to correct complications and have the freedom of removing the aligners to eat and brush their teeth, making them a minimally invasive treatment. They have now incorporated functional brace treatment into Invisalign which means you can straighten the teeth at the same time as correcting the bite issue in a more comfortable and discrete way.
If you would like more information about the treatment we offer here at Park Lane, please do not hesitate to contact us.