How old should children be before they start wearing braces?
A. Conventional metal braces can only be used on permanent or “adult” teeth. They cannot be put on deciduous (baby) teeth. So traditionally, children would normally be evaluated at about age 12 because that is the time just about all of the baby teeth have fallen out and are being replaced by the permanent teeth. But now in modern times we recommend children be examined by a dentist for orthodontic problems at about age 7. The reason is that now we have advanced techniques involving removable, retainer-like braces called “functional appliances” that do not need to be attached to permanent (adult) teeth. Such modern devices like this can now be used to prevent or correct many types of bad bites (malocclusions) before they get started or before they can cause further damage to the alignment of the permanent teeth and jaws. 2. What are Functional Appliances? A. Functional Appliances are an extremely important part of the new and modern way of doing orthodontics in both children and adults
