Braces - How Early is Too Early?

There have been more than a few times when I suggest braces to a parent of a young child and they seem surprised. How early is too early to get braces? This is a great question to ask and one that many parents should get the answer to. Honestly, a child can get braces as early as 6 years old if they have crowding of the teeth. It's important to start a child on a two phase orthodontic treatment to help ensure that their jaw and teeth align correctly as they age. Here's a quote from an older blog post of mine:

It's best for the orthodontist to see children by age 7 to advise if orthodontic treatment is required and the best time for that patient to be treated. The first permanent molars and incisors have usually come in by that time and crossbites, crowding and other problems can be evaluated. When treatment is begun early, the orthodontist can guide the growth of the jaw and guide incoming permanent teeth. Early treatment can also regulate the width of the upper and lower dental arches, gain space for permanent teeth, avoid the need for permanent tooth extractions, reduce likelihood of impacted permanent teeth, correct thumb-sucking, and eliminate abnormal swallowing or speech problems. In other words, early treatment can simplify later treatment.

"It's never too late to have ortho," says Brenda Stenftenagel, DDS, MSD.

"Dr. Brenda" is right -- more and more adults are being fitted for braces these days.

In fact, her office has had patients as young as 2 and as old as 84.

According to the American Association of Orthodontists, a 37-percent growth in adult patients occurred between 1994 and 2004. And the numbers are rising.

"It's very rare that I hear a patient say it's a negative (to get braces)," Stenftenagel said. "It's such a positive thing in their life."

Source Here

This excerpt is from a fantastic article about adults and braces. More and more adults are getting braces these days, and I have to think that technological improvements in treatment (like Damon Brackets and Invisalign) are the primary source.

What do you think? Why are more and more adults choosing to undergo orthodontic treatment?

How to improve bad breath

So, this might be a weird topic for a post, but I figure that it's definitely a topic that people wonder about, but never want to ask. As such, here are some tips for improving bad breath:

• Eat at regular intervals. Dieting or missing meals can decrease saliva and cause bad breath.

• Chew sugar-free gum, suck on sugar-free mints, or drink water, especially if your mouth is dry.

• Try using breath sticks, which contain the ingredients found in a mouthwash and dissolve in your mouth.

• Remove dentures, removable bridges, partial plates, or orthodontic appliances and clean them once each day or as directed by your dentist. Pieces of food and germs can collect on these appliances and cause bad breath.

• Use a mouthwash for temporary relief of bad breath. Swish it around in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out.

• Have regular dental checkups.

Last Week Invisalign, This Week the Damon System

So last week I showed you a great patient testimonial about Invisalign and her reactions to the treatment within her first 10 minutes of wearing the aligners. This week, I thought I'd take a minute to show you another great option: Damon System Brackets. Damon brackets are a great alternative to traditional metal braces. As a Damon orthodontist in Los Angeles, I work hard to educate my patients about the pros and cons of both Damon and Invisalign. As usual, I think it's also good for you to hear this from more than just me. Here is a video I found of patient testimonials. What do you think?