Bad Breath: You Don't Have to Live with It

Kids generally do not follow orthodontics care instructions to the letter. Even parents can become frustrated with trying to get kids to brush and clean their braces and teeth. If traditional braces did not complete the job on your kids' teeth, you still have time and options. 

Invisalign Braces

Metal brackets and wires cannot stay on your kids' teeth forever. When the dentist or orthodontist removes the metal braces, and you still want your kids' teeth to be aligned better, you can request invisible, removable braces. The dentist/orthodontist can take molds of your kids' teeth to make these new, clear braces that will pop in and out, fixing your kids' teeth a little more each time. Since the kids are able to remove these braces, their oral hygiene and the appearance of their teeth will get better and better. Invisalign is a popular brand.

Sublingual Braces to Keep Teeth from Shifting

Another thing the dentist or orthodontist can do is place a few sublingual brackets. These brackets prevent teeth from shifting and moving out of place. Strategically placed brackets that connect to each other can further move the teeth into the position you had expected when you initially had the kids get traditional braces. Once the teeth are where you expect them to be, your kids can switch to an invisible, removable, clear retainer to prevent any more shifting. The sublingual braces/brackets are removed to fit the clear removable retainers. 

Extended Wear of Clear Retainers

Kids do a lot of growing during their teen years. Unless you want to revisit another set of braces later, your kids' dentist or orthodontist may recommend an extended wear program for the clear retainers. Your kids will wear these retainers until the retainers either do not fit because of extensive growth in the bones of your children's faces, or until they reach about seventeen. At seventeen, it is unlikely that your children's faces and teeth will grow anymore or shift out of place. They are nearly to their adult appearance and bones stop growing shortly after this age (if the bones have not stopped growing already). 

Discuss Options with the Dentist/Orthodontist

When you are faced the reality that your kids' orthodontic program did not go as planned because your kids did not put as much into their oral hygiene as they should have, you can ask your kids' dentist orthodontist about the above options. Discuss these options at length. Then decide if you are going to follow through with any of them.