health
their permanent teeth but the early check
allows for faster intervention for those who
require treatment before braces.” My story
shows that our own past histories with
dental issues may be good predictors of
what your child may face, and the shape
of the face may give an early indication
that remedial work will be necessary.
“With underbites, overbites, crossbites,
severe crowding or other bite issues,
early correction can treat many problems
quickly to prevent them developing later.
And some issues like underbites may not
be correctable at an older age.”
Dr Baram says that although there
is no age limit to braces, there are two
'golden periods': from ages 7 to 10,
for early correction; then from ages
12 to 13, when most children have
their braces. “Teeth respond better to
braces before ages 16 to 18, when the
jaw typically stops growing. Kids have
softer bones and faster metabolisms
than adults, and teeth will begin to
move into line almost immediately after
treatment starts. Risks associated with
treatment are also generally less in
children compared to adults.” He points
out that the main benefit of applying
braces earlier has much to do with
social acceptance. “Your child’s friends
are likely to have braces at that age
as well. With strength in numbers, it’s
easier for kids to feel confident about
the metal in their mouth and gives them
plenty of friends with whom they can
share their experiences.” Recent studies
have found up to a third of all kids wear
braces in developed countries like the
US and Australia. Baram says that in
Hong Kong, 13 per cent of local Chinese
children will have braces even though
the treatment need is around 60 per
cent. “This is an unfortunate fact and
hopefully more children in Hong Kong
can benefit from orthodontic treatment
at a younger age.”
Perhaps your teen or tween may
come to you to discuss more modern
methods of remediation, or maybe you
yourself have tried out the transparent
brand of “braces” called Invisalign. (I
have, and recommend it when middle-
aged teeth start to shift.) “Invisalign
is an American company that uses
customised clear pieces of plastic
(aligners) to align teeth. The user is
usually asked to change their aligners
once a week and the teeth straighten
by 0.25mm with each new aligner.
Previously it was reserved for adults
who wanted to avoid braces. However,
Invisalign has developed so far that it
is now often the treatment of choice
for children aged 7-10 years old. Its
advantage over other appliances is its
accuracy and gentle force. It will be
very interesting to see how Invisalign
develops its appliances for younger
children over the next few years.”
says Dr Baram.
Whichever way you look at it, the
majority of people these days eventually
avail themselves of the services of
orthodontists, and perhaps even
prosthodontists, in addition to the ever-
faithful family dentist. As the variety of
procedures become more accessible,
more “normal” among your child’s peer
group, less invasive, and cheaper too,
there is hardly any reason for any child
to dread having their teeth checked. If
you’re especially lucky, the idea might
even put a smile on their face.
Useful Info
Dr Derek Baram
Central Smile Limited
12/F Manning House
48 Queen's Road Central
www.centralsmile.com
Dr Kerwin Ho
American Orthodontic Group
1901 Hing Wai Building
36 Queens Road Central
Tel: 2523 8008
Dr Tsui
Room 604, Melbourne Plaza
33 Queen's Road
Tel: 2524 9021
Summer 2019
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