The goal of orthodontics is a good bite—straight teeth that mesh well with the teeth in the opposite jaw. This can enhance your teen's dental health and her overall health, and may improve self-esteem. With good care, teeth can last a lifetime.

Treatment in children or teenagers who are still growing may yield results that may not be possible once the face and jaws have completed their growth.

A healthy bite is as important at age 60 as it is at age 16. Even though adults are no longer growing, they can also enjoy improvements that come from orthodontic treatment. Your age is not a deciding factor for orthodontic treatment. Healthy teeth can be adjusted at any age.

Orthodontic treatment is a smart investment in your child's dental, physical, and emotional health.

Why to see an orthodontist

To have the best and healthiest smile possible. Get it by relying on orthodontists’ expertise, which comes from their extensive education. After graduating from dental school, orthodontists go on for another two or more years of education at an accredited orthodontic residency program. Orthodontists are accepted for membership in the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), and only after this formal education can one be called an orthodontist. Only. Selecting a member of the AAO for orthodontic care is the public’s assurance that they are selecting
an orthodontist.

Orthodontists are dedicated to helping your teeth and jaws work in union so that you can speak, bite and chew comfortably and effectively. There’s a bonus. Teeth and jaws that work well tend to look good, too.

To feel good and look good. With care from an orthodontist, your teen has an expert who has been educated to understand how his teeth, jaws, and facial muscles all work together. A healthy mouth contributes to his overall good health, and his appearance gets a boost, too.

To get the specialized treatment your child deserves. You trust your heart to a cardiologist, your skin to a dermatologist, your knees to an orthopedist. Like these specialists who study their specialty areas after their general medical education, orthodontists devote additional years of study to orthodontics after they graduate from dental school. And like their medical counterparts, orthodontists limit their practices to their specialty area. Orthodontists have in-depth experience and use their knowledge and skills to help you get the best results possible.

To get her bite right. Our bite is a complex biologic system. Its components include up to 32 teeth, upper and lower jaws, gums, and facial muscles. A healthy bite is the orthodontist’s goal, which is met by making sure the separate elements are positioned for optimal performance. Your child enjoy the ability to bite, chew and speak well.

To solve the problem. You may see six crooked front teeth. The orthodontist sees the cause of crooked teeth in three dimensions. Orthodontists use their education, experience, and expertise to delve deep to discover the root of your child’s orthodontic problem. Armed with a diagnosis that takes all factors into account, orthodontists can plan a solution—one that delivers a healthy and lasting result.

To recommend the right treatment. There are a lot of options these days, from clear aligners to modern braces. They each have their uses, but only an orthodontist has the specialized knowledge to identify and plan for all the variables in your mouth. Orthodontists take your unique needs and wishes into consideration, too, when recommending the right treatment option. Orthodontists have knowledge of the full range of orthodontic appliance “tools.” They know what to use and when because they work with these tools every day.

To address the big picture. Sure, you want a dazzling smile. Your orthodontist wants that for you, too—and treatment results that last. You deserve the best—a good bite and a healthy, beautiful smile. Consult an AAO-member orthodontist for your life, your health, your happiness, your smile.

Sources: the American Dental Association (mouthhealthy.org) and the American Association of Orthodontists (mylifemysmile.org).