Kids can need braces for a variety of reasons. These often include: crooked teeth, overlapping or overcrowded teeth, or a "bad bite" (malocclusion). Malocclusion refers to when the top and bottom jaws are different sizes, resulting in uneven contact between the upper and lower teeth. As a result, overbites and underbites occur. An overbite is when the upper jaw is larger than the lower jaw, while an underbite is when the lower jaw is larger than the upper jaw.

Sometimes losing baby teeth too soon or practicing bad habits like thumb sucking can also lead to tooth and jaw problems. However, tooth and jaw problems are also often inherited. If you or someone in your family have tooth or jaw issues, it is likely that your kid will as well. When left untreated, issues such as low self-esteem, periodontal disease, and improper digestion can occur.

When to Check If Your Kid Needs Braces

There is no exact age for when a child should see an orthodontist for the first time. Some kids go as early as 6, while some go when they are teens. With the popularity of Invisalign clear braces, even adults are now seeing an orthodontist more than ever.

Many orthodontists believe a good time to start seeing an orthodontist is around the age of 7, as this is normally when their permanent teeth start coming in. Once your child’s permanent teeth start coming in, issues such as uneven bite and overcrowding will become apparent. Starting the process early doesn't mean a child will get braces right away. It just means the orthodontist will be able to find problems and decide the best time to start treatment.

Get Your Kid Checked for Braces at Our Southwest Houston Dental Office

Centra Dental is ready to resolve your child’s tooth and jaw issues through the use of 3M metal braces. When you bring your child to our southwest Houston office for a regular visit, our dentists will often be the first to notice any orthodontic issues your child may have. If the dentist feels there are issues that need to be addressed, your child will then see one of our expert orthodontists. The orthodontist will carefully examine your child’s teeth and determine whether or not kids braces are needed.

Centra Dental is committed to giving your child a healthy mouth and great smile. As providers of great dental and orthodontic services, our Houston dentists are ready to help. So contact our southwest Houston office today to book an appointment.

Braces are often solely viewed as a cosmetic dentistry method to improve one’s appearance. A great smile leads to feeling good about your appearance and greater self-confidence. As important as appearance may be, however, what is often overlooked are the many health benefits of braces. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

Braces Lead to a Healthy Mouth

In addition to the obvious cosmetic improvement of your teeth and smile, straighter teeth are easier to clean, hence better periodontal health. Crooked or gapped teeth make properly brushing and cleaning more difficult, resulting in cavities and tooth loss. In addition, misaligned or crowded teeth make flossing difficult. When teeth are not properly flossed, periodontal disease is likely to manifest.

Braces from Centra Dental in southwest Houston resolves these issues by aligning and spacing teeth out properly. Dental maintenance is greatly improved because brushing, cleaning, and flossing become easier. The result is a clean, healthy mouth.

Braces Correct Jaw Issues

Misaligned teeth cause an improper bite that can lead to jaw issues such as temporomandibular (TMJ) disorders. TMJ disorders affect the muscles and joints surrounding the jaw, often causing headaches and pain around the face and ears. People suffering from TMJ disorders may also experience dizziness and a ringing in their ears.

TMJ disorders often make biting and chewing difficult. This can lead to improper digestion and increasing the chance of large chunks of food getting caught in the teeth and gums, thus leading to bad breath and gum disease.

Braces from our Houston dentists will move your teeth back into their correct position. Once this happens, the TMJ will shift back to its proper alignment, thus relieving you of your symptoms. In addition, you will be able to bite, chew, and even speak better.

Contact Centra Dental for Your Braces Consultation

Our greatest concern at Centra Dental is your overall health. Obviously, a great smile is an added bonus. Straight teeth greatly contribute to both of these things, so contact our office in southwest Houston today for a braces consultation. Let us help give you a great smile and better oral health!

Some people think of braces as an extravagant expense, but at our southwest Houston dental clinic we have worked to ensure that just about everyone can afford braces. With 3M metal braces starting at less than $2,000 and with flexible payment plans, Centra Dental offers top-of-the-line affordable braces.

Braces have become a necessity for many people who suffer from severely gapped, misaligned, or crooked teeth. When braces are applied, teeth are able to straighten conform to correct alignment, which makes it easier for patients to chew, speak, and maintain their oral health, like brushing and flossing. At Centra Dental, we are always concerned about the health of our patients’ teeth and overall oral health.

USING DENTAL INSURANCE FOR BRACES

If teeth are severely misaligned or gapped and are causing health concerns, quite often the dental insurance plan will cover either the entire braces treatment or a large portion of it. If you have dental insurance and are struggling with the misalignment or gaps in your teeth, then you should consider applying your dental benefits to an orthodontics treatment.

Our southwest Houston dental clinic accepts most dental insurance plans. We also accept Care Credit. Our primary initiative is to help you obtain the necessary dental procedures to keep your oral health in pristine shape. This is why we work with every patient, regardless of their budget constraints. Customizing our customer care is just part of what makes Centra Dental a fantastic dental clinic.

METAL OR INVISALIGN CHOICE

For patients who are ready to receive their orthodontics treatment, we offer 3M metal braces and Invisalign braces. Invisalign are clear plastic tray aligners that make wearing braces practically unnoticeable.

Ready to get your smile looking straight and beautiful? Contact Centra Dental today and schedule your orthodontics appointment. We will place you on an ortho plan that will have you smiling.

Summer is here and the busyness of life, at least for your kids, have slowed down a bit (hopefully). With the slower schedule, now is the best time to schedule your child’s orthodontics appointment.

If your child has crooked, misaligned or gapped teeth, then you should consider getting them braces to give them a perfectly aligned and strong smile. At our southwest Houston dental clinic, we provide 3M metal braces and Invisalign braces to our patients. Both types of teeth aligners can quickly begin to straighten your child’s teeth.

METAL OR INVISALIGN: WHICH TO CHOOSE

When coming to Centra Dental for your child’s orthodontics appointment, there are several steps that must be taken before applying braces to their teeth. Our dentist will conduct a thorough evaluation of your child’s teeth and overall oral structure. This is done through dental X-rays and conducting a personal examination.

Once we establish the severity of their dental structure, we will be able to pinpoint precisely the type of braces they should receive. If the teeth are severely misaligned or gapped, then metal braces are typically preferable since they are the strongest. These 3M metal braces will move teeth into an aligned position more quickly than Invisalign, and they are less expensive. Our metal braces start at less than $2,000.

With Invisalign braces, these are typically for less severe cases. These clear plastic tray aligners do not shift teeth into place as quickly, but they do so efficiently, effectively, and without being very noticeable. Since these braces are plastic, youth are more apt to choose these types because they don’t cause a major change to their appearance.

CHOOSE BRACES NOW WHILE IT’S SUMMER

Whether you choose metal braces or Invisalign, making the choice during the summer enables your child to get used to the braces before school starts back up. If your child needs braces, then contact our dental office in southwest Houston and schedule their summer dental appointment today.