Orthodontics in the Summer

While thethought of getting braces for your child this summer might not have crossedyour mind, the season is the ideal time to do so. You have greater flexibilitywith appointments and your son or daughter won’t need to miss any importantinstruction time at school. At Great Lakes Dental, we encourage you to schedulean orthodontist appointment soon before our schedule fills up for the summer.

Whenis the Ideal Time to Get Braces?

Kids canstart with orthodontic treatment a lot sooner than you might think. Accordingto the American Society of Orthodontics, all kids should have a comprehensiveexam by an orthodontist around the age of seven. Although this mightseem early, it gives us the chance to see how your child’s teeth are coming inand whether he or she might need braces in the future. If so, we carefullymonitor your child’s teeth for a few months before starting treatment. Yourchild's dentist will recommend the ideal time to start treatment, which isusually between 10 and 14.

MoreTime to Establish a New Oral Healthcare Routine

Besides theflexibility of appointments, summer offers your child more time to adjust towearing braces and to get into a new routine of caring for them. The alarmclock rings early during the school year, which means that kids sometimes don’teven leave themselves enough time to brush their teeth. With braces, ourdentists recommend brushing and flossing the teeth three times a day.Since people without braces usually only brush and floss twice a day, it cantake a while to get used to this new routine.

It’simportant to avoid certain foods while wearing braces, such as sticky candy orvery hard foods. The summer months give your son or daughter more time to getused to these restrictions without the experience of breaking a bracket or bandin class. By the time the school year starts, your child should have a goodhead start on brushing, flossing and eating carefully.

Schedulea Consultation Today

Ifyou’re concerned about crooked or misaligned teeth in your child, contactus today to request a consultation. We look forward to helping yourchild improve his or her smile and oral health.