Braces For Children In Sheffield

On average kids start brace treatment between the age 12-14, an early assessment can identify the need to start earlier in certain cases. Therefore an assessment around age 10-11 can be beneficial.

No, the NHS has restrictions in place meaning children will need to be referred before the age of 18 and be eligible for treatment based on the index of treatment need.

The waiting times actively change and can differ from practice to practice, on average this can be between 12 months upto 36 months depending on your local area.

In most practices NHS patients are provided with metal fixed braces or a combination of fixed and removable appliances.

Yes, children can have clear fixed braces or clear aligners depending on their malocclusion, although clear aligners are less used in patients under the age of 13 and require excellent patient cooperation and fulltime wear.

The treatment provided is the same standard as long as the treatment is carried out by a specialist orthodontist, often the only difference is the time spent waiting on nhs waiting lists and the option to have different types of braces such as invisalign or iconix and ceramic braces.

Braces when initially fitted can be uncomfortable for the first 5-7 days sometimes needing pain relief, after this the teeth may feel sensitive or tender when eating for a couple of weeks, we advise to have an extra soft diet until this settles. At the brace adjustment appointments once reactivated the teeth can ache again for around 24-48 hours.

Its not uncommon to need teeth extracting for brace treatment, it depends on the amount of space required to align the teeth within the jawbone without causing excessive tipping of the teeth, it can also be a requirement when using braces to correct how the teeth bite and meet together.
Twinblock braces can reduce the chance of needing extractions in certain cases.

Twinblocks are removable functional braces that correct overjets (prominent front teeth) often reducing the need for extractions.

Most orthodontic practices including ourselves refer back to your general dentist to carry out any extractions required for brace treatment.

18-24 months is the average time but in some cases treatment can be quicker and in more complex cases longer, your orthodontist will advise on this at the treatment planning stage.

Yes, for contact sports we advise an orthodontic mouth guard such as safe jawz. In some boxing gyms this is not accepted. Musical instruments can still be played and sometimes a lip bumper tube is used for comfort. Alternatively clear aligners are an alternative as these can be removed.

6-8 weeks on average for fixed braces, 6-10 weeks for removable.

If a fixed appliance breaks we provide brace wax for relief if it causing trauma, you would need to contact the practice for an emergency fracture appointment.

Using a manual or electric toothbrush 3 x a day for 3 minutes, alongside interdental brushes for cleaning under the archwires. A waterflosser can also be used on fixed braces.

If not cared for correctly with insufficient cleaning or high sugar consumption and carbonated drinks, permanent white marks can develop around the fixed brackets. Excessive force from nail biting and thumb sucking can also cause root resorption. Risks of brace treatment will be discussed at the planning stage of treatment.

Yes, due to ligament memory the teeth will want to be pulled back into their original position, over time this will reduce as the ligaments settle but natural forces from the cheeks and tongue can also put pressure on the teeth and move them out of position, it is recommended retainers are worn lifelong to maintain the alignment.

Initially fulltime for 6 weeks then over time we gradually reduce the wear to night time only or at least every other night longterm.
Fixed retainers are sometimes used in high risk relapse cases such as large gaps between the front teeth, removable retainers must still be worn over the top long-term.
Any questions unanswered? No problem, we offer Free Assessments with our specialists, contact us to book your appointment.