Top Reasons to Invest in Your Teen’s Smile

invest-in-your-teen

Published by Dr. Charles Gemmi

A Board Certified Orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, Dr. Charles Gemmi has been a practicing orthodontist with Orthodontics Limited since 2000 and is a member of the teaching staff at Einstein Medical Center. Orthodontics Limited is a Diamond+ Provider of Invisalign in Philadelphia and Hatboro, PA.

When you have kids, it can be a real struggle sometimes to keep up with all the things they need: school tuitions, clothes, regular doctor and dentist appointments, and of course enough healthy food on the table. If your teen’s dentist mentioned braces, you might be tempted to put it off thinking it is just an aesthetic issue. When money is already tight it might seem impossible to even think about shelling big bucks for something that isn’t necessarily life and death. What you do have to keep in mind though is that straighter teeth will bring great benefits to your child and will be worth the investment. You will be saving them from a lot of dental problems as they grow older.

Here are the five top reasons to invest in your teen’s smile:

Better overall dental health

Crooked teeth make it very hard to get all the plaque and food stuck between your teeth. This can build up and lead to gum disease which will lead to lost teeth at an early age. We are only given one set of adult teeth and they have to last us our whole lives. By investing in braces for your child you are helping them get a better checkup every time they go to the dentist and reducing the number of cavities they might get. Dental problems while young can affect your dental health as you get older so give your teen the best shot at a healthy smile for their whole lives.

Misaligned teeth can also cause face and jaw pain, problems with eating and TMJ. Your child might also find that the way he or she talks is affected by their bite as well. In these cases, it is especially important to take him or her to see an orthodontist.

Improves their overall health

You might not realize how intricately linked gum disease is with other diseases like heart disease. Teach your children early how important good oral health is not only to the look of their smile, but also to their health. Now is the time to build a solid foundation that they will hopefully continue for years to come. Problems will just start to compound so protect your teen by ensuring that they have no lingering dental problems.

Gives more self-confidence

Now although aesthetics should not be the only reason for investing in your teen’s smile, there is no arguing that a more beautiful, healthy smile will give your teen such a big boost of self-confidence. The teenage years are tough and is a time when kids become very image conscious. Help them feel more comfortable with who they are by improving their smile. You will be surprised at how much more outgoing they will become and how they will go out for clubs and lead roles in school plays that they were too embarrassed to do before.

Many more options than before

If you had braces growing up than you are probably picturing the traditional metal braces with metal brackets and wires. They are still an effective way to straighten your teeth, but they are no longer the only option. You also has the option of Invisalign clear plastic braces and other corrective procedures.

Invisalign treatment involves placing clear plastic aligners on your teeth to move them instead of brackets and wires. These aligners are clear so most people won’t even know your teen is wearing them. The aligners are also easy to take off and can be taken off when you are eating and when you are brushing and flossing. This makes it so much easier to get at all the food that gets stuck in your teeth. With traditional met braces, it is more difficult to clean your teeth very well and you are always worried about food getting stuck in your braces.

With Invisalign treatment, only a few teeth are moved at a time and your teen will receive new aligners every 2 weeks. You do need to make sure that your daughter or son wears the aligners for at least 22 hours every day. If he or she doesn’t wear them the recommended time, they won’t be as effective at repositioning your teeth. If your teen wears a mouth guard while playing sports, she can even remove the aligners so that her mouth guard will fit more securely.

Your aligners can simply be brushed and then rinsed with warm water or your teen can use an Invisalign cleaning kit. Invisalign is just as effective as traditional braces and now orthodontists can add rubber bands to them if needed. Both you and your teen will love how little your teen’s life will be impacted while wearing Invisalign.

Braces are affordable

While they are a big commitment of time and money, investing in your child’s smile doesn’t have to be impossible. Make sure you shop around to different orthodontists to get a sense of your options and what it will cost. Ask about dental health insurance and if they have payment plans. Most orthodontists will try to work with you because they know how important your child’s oral health.

If your teen would prefer Invisalign, then make sure you choose an orthodontist who specializes in Invisalign and has years of experience with the treatment procedure. With Invisalign, the orthodontist should show you a model of your child’s teeth and explain the gradually repositioning process so that you and your child know what to expect every step of the way.

No matter if you choose traditional metal braces or Invisalign it is important to invest in your child’s smile. The health of her smile can affect so many parts of her life, from her self-confidence to her ability to speak and chew properly to her future dental health. As parents, we want to give our children the best shot possible in life and getting her braces will help you do that. Consider these top reasons to invest in your teen’s smile.

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