At What Age Can a Person Wear Dental Braces?
After orthodontic treatment, braces are needed to maintain the results. Only by wearing braces can teeth be more aligned. There is an optimal time for orthodontic treatment, with 10-16 years old being the most suitable age range. Children's teeth grow quickly, and if there is a malocclusion deformity, it should be corrected promptly. Furthermore, our teeth can be divided into different periods, including the deciduous period, mixed period, and permanent teeth period. The age for wearing braces varies depending on the period. Below, I will introduce the appropriate ages for wearing braces.
During the deciduous period, if a child's teeth have an underbite deformity, braces can be chosen for correction at this stage. The appropriate age for braces treatment is around 3 to 6 years old. At this time, the child's permanent teeth have not yet erupted, and the roots of the deciduous teeth are still relatively stable and have not yet been absorbed. Therefore, orthodontic appliances can be used for correction, and the treatment period is approximately 6 months. However, if the child's teeth have other deformities, we may choose to postpone correction temporarily.
During the mixed period, the child's permanent teeth begin to erupt gradually, and the bite may become unstable. Therefore, it is easy for the child's teeth to develop deformities during this period, which occurs approximately between 8 and 12 years old. The main reasons are the early loss of deciduous teeth, leading to a reduction in the length of the dental arch and subsequently causing teeth to be crowded. In such cases, space maintainers may be required. Additionally, early loss of deciduous teeth can lead to closure of spaces, resulting in insufficient space for the eruption of permanent teeth and causing tooth deformities. Orthodontic appliances can be used to restore the spaces.
According to oral dentists, all deciduous teeth have been replaced during this period. The eruption of the second and third molars marks another rapid growth phase, typically occurring between 12 and 18 years old. At this time, the diagnosis of tooth deformities is relatively clear, making it the optimal age for orthodontic treatment.