Orthodontics for children and adolescents

As long as the jaw is not fully grown, i.e. up to a certain developmental limit in children and adolescents, both the growth of the jaw and the position of the teeth can be influenced by orthodontic appliances. The primary aim is to ensure that the upper and lower jaws fit together correctly and create a harmonious facial appearance. It is advisable to have your children examined for orthodontic treatment needs as early as possible, around the age of 7 to 8. Many orthodontic problems can be corrected more easily and better in children before jaw growth has slowed down. Treatment in children usually begins between the ages of 11 and 12, the start of pre-pubertal growth.

However, an earlier time should be chosen for certain treatments. Your family dentist, school dentist or our specialist orthodontic practice will be happy to advise you.

Alongside orthodontic treatment, minor oral surgery such as the extraction of wisdom teeth or other teeth can be performed. More difficult cases are solved in collaboration with specialists. After orthodontic treatment, stabilization adapted to the type of treatment, known as retention, is always required. The teeth, soft tissues and jaw must first "get used" to the new conditions. To ensure that they remain stable, they are held in place with special retention appliances (e.g. firmly bonded retainers, removable retention plates, etc.). However, even if retention is carried out, the teeth can still shift, meaning that a new orthodontic treatment may be necessary.

 

Orthodontics for adults

The position of teeth can be corrected with orthodontic appliances throughout a person's life, including adults of all ages.

Today, modern methods such as lingual technology or aligners are available that enable invisible or barely visible treatment of the position of teeth. This means that as an adult, you do not necessarily have to wear visible orthodontic appliances.

However, if there is a misalignment of the jawbone (and not just the teeth) in adults, it may be appropriate to schedule oral surgery to correct the conditions of the jawbone. Such an operation is carried out by specialists, e.g. oral surgeons. Orthodontic pre-treatment and post-treatment will then be necessary.