It used to be that kids got braces when they were in middle school or even high school.  Now it seems that children are starting orthodontics in elementary school.  Why the rush?  There have been studies that show that the sooner children start some kind of orthodontics, the more successful their treatment will be.  Although most orthodontic problems are best treated with traditional braces, some problems need to be treated as soon as they are noticed, no matter how young a child is. Because  children are rapidly growing,  their bones are relatively soft and always  changing.  At this stage, it is easy to guide the bone and teeth growth in children through orthodontics.  As every parent knows, their children grow faster at some ages than at others.  Therefore, orthodontists want to time their treatments for the ages when the child is mature enough to cooperate with treatment, and also when the bone is growing most rapidly.   The optimum age for beginning treatment depends upon what the orthodontist needs to correct, but the best age for evaluation for orthodontics is usually age 7 because that is the age when bone growth and  your child’s maturity tend to favor orthodontic treatment.  A major growth spurt also takes place at puberty, and orthodontists like to take advantage of this as well.  When the jaws and teeth are still growing it is much easier to move teeth and change the position and size of the jaw. Early orthodontic treatment is effective and desirable in certain situations.  Some of the problems which  require early orthodontic treatment include:

Early or late loss of baby teeth
Difficulty in chewing or biting
Mouth breathing
Crowding or misplaced teeth
Jaws that shift, and/or make sounds
Speech difficulty
Biting the cheek or biting into the roof of the mouth
Teeth that meet in an abnormal way or don’t meet at all
Protruding teeth
Facial imbalance or asymmetry
Grinding or clenching of teeth
Finger sucking or other oral habits

Here are some pictures of teeth that  require early orthodontic treatment:

Click for full-size image

Starting orthodontic treatment early is important because it can:

Create room for crowded, erupting teeth
Create facial symmetry through influencing jaw growth
Reduce the risk of trauma to protruding front teeth
Preserve space for unerupted teeth
Reduce the need for tooth removal
Reduce treatment time with braces

If you would like more information about early orthodontic treatment, the California Association of Orthodontists has a great brochure called Bite Down Early that you can view online or order a copy to be sent to your home.  With an early orthodontic evaluation, you’ll be giving your child the best opportunity for a healthy, beautiful smile that will last a lifetime.

Before hitting the yellow pages or searching for a San Francisco dentist online there are a few criteria you should be wary of.

Reputation

All dentists, as with any profession, were not created equal but you will be glad to know that the general level of technical capability of San Francisco dentists is quite high for the most part. Searching for dentist reviews online can help as can word of mouth from a friend but remember that it can be difficult for a layman to tell the difference between good, bad and average. Professional referral is a slightly better gauge as a dentist will know a good, bad or average dentist.

Facilities

Did you know there are tools to get rid of or reduce that gagging feeling, or a machine that can build a dental implant immediately on site removing the need for multiple visits or that there is a shot that halves the time you have that numb feeling after you visit? Well, there are and not all San Francisco dentists have all. Some people have such levels of fear when visiting the dentist that full or partial sedation is a definite need – not all San Francisco dentists do this, but some do. If you have an idea of what work you will be doing, ask about the appropriate equipment the dentist will be using or ask him what is available to combat any concerns you might be harboring.

Cost

Depending on the procedure the cost of a visit to the dentist in San Francisco can become somewhat expensive. Factors that determine cost will be primarily reputation or experience, equipment (he has to pay for the machines some way), location (San Francisco rent is not cheap) and of course the procedure being delivered.

Insurance

For most, dental insurance is quite basic so if you are getting more than a check-up or a filling, do not bank on insurance protecting your wallet. I am including this here so sticker shock is somewhat reduced if you are seeking something like cosmetic dentistry.

Convenience

In some cases, you may be required to make multiple visits in a short amount of time so thinking with location, parking and even traffic may be an important factor. What is the point of driving to a cheap part of San Francisco (if there is one) to save a couple of hundred dollars when the time to get off work, drive and park negates that saving.

So there you go. Don’t worry, your odds are good. We at Doctorbase would like to humbly offer our listings of quality dentists in San Francisco as they have been checked for reviews and facilities with many having peer reviews too. They wouldn’t be on our listings if they had a bunch of bad reviews. If you choose not to, you obviously know how to use Google – you found us – so good luck.

E-mail the author with a question, seriously I don’t mind, it’s what i’m here for. If I don’t know the answer, I know a lot of dentists, I’ll get you an answer.

Choices

Invisalign©

Photo Credit HaleyHughes

This is the brand of clear braces most will be familiar with. They are designed and fitted to adjust your teeth while showing the most minimal amount with their clear design.

Ceramic Braces

These are more like the traditional braces but with clear ceramic material contacting the teeth, reducing the amount of visible metal on the teeth.

Cost

The factors that determine the cost of getting braces, not just clear braces, are amount of work, experience of dentist, area and choice of procedure or brace style. For most in the United States, you can expect to pay anywhere between $4,000 to $12,000 in 2009.

Find a well reviewed orthodontist in your area

Maintenance

As with your teeth, the clear braces will need to be cleaned and periodically adjusted. Your dentist will give you a schedule for maintenance. Below is a good video on cleaning the clear braces.

There are many different types of braces and some are more aesthetically pleasing with a clear style. If you wanted to find a dentist to get braces, you will find many types available so make sure to ask when you get your appointment of what is available to you.

Photo Credit: Monica Nguyen

Wikipedia has a good writeup on the details of orthodontic braces including history to the many different styles and methods.