Kids Orthodontics and Adult Orthodontics. The Difference.

What is the difference between kids orthodontics and adults orthodontics? One may not think that there is much of a difference between the two but actually there are some differences. Please continue reading this post as we break down some of the differences between kids and adult orthodontics for you.

The number one thing you need to consider is age because as we grow older, our body ages as well. A young person won’t necessarily suffer from the same things that an older person might suffer from. When you get older parts of your body start to change, in some cases bones get weaker or issues occur with your overall health. In addition to these issues, your oral health can be affected as well by aging. For example, an older person will suffer from things like poor bones between the roots of the teeth, a slight chance of bone loss or gingivitis.

Another thing that you need to be concerned with is the way your overall bite is. Orthodontic treatment is usually needed to correct an abnormal bite such as an overbite or underbite. With young children, fixing most issues can easily be done with some type of orthodontic treatment but with adults, it can be a little more complicated at times. It’s not that there aren’t orthodontic treatment and appliances that won’t fix the issues but it’s due to the fact that as we get older our teeth stop growing and they are pretty much set so trying to fix an issue is difficult because there might not be enough space within the teeth. Also, if an adult doesn’t take proper care of their teeth, they can become worn down which can also make it a bit of an issue to correct certain improper bites.

Lastly, there are a few social and psychological factors that will affect adults who decide to go for orthodontic treatment. When people are young kids, they might not worry about such factors in the same way that adults do. However, adults will worry about certain aspects such as the ones listed here below:

• Expectations with treatment
• Soreness from wearing appliances
• Worrying about facial appearance
• A desire to follow orthodontic instructions

With young kids, they might not worry so much about these factors, but adults most likely will because they would want great results but with fast results. With adults, they are more prone to asking questions and wanting what’s the most comfortable and most affordable way of treatment. So, as you can see there are some differences between kids and adult orthodontics. The important thing to remember is that no matter your age, it is NEVER too early or late to start orthodontic treatment. The first step to a beautiful healthy smile starts with calling your orthodontist and scheduling an appointment today!