Right age to get braces is when all the milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. And the development of all the permanent teeth should have been completed. Here the development of permanent teeth is basically related to the completion of root development. In case of Indian population, it is somewhere between 13 to 14 years. Around this age, the jaw bone is growing and it is easier for the dentist to move these permanent teeth to their ideal position. Getting an orthodontics treatment before the completion of root development can have a detrimental effect and the teeth can become nonvital or dead. Although braces can be given at any age. In fact, we have given braces to patients up to 45 years of age and we were able to attain the desired results.
There are 5 main types of braces available today:
# Metal braces
# Ceramic braces
# Self-ligating braces
# Lingual braces
# Clear aligners like Invisalign
As far as the best treatment option is concerned all the above-mentioned procedures are capable to achieve the desired treatment results in the majority of cases. But in some complicated cases, dentists may prefer to choose a specific treatment option to achieve the best results. Time required for orthodontic correction depends on the severity of mal-alignment but in the majority of cases, it takes around 1 year. Some treatment alternatives like self-ligating braces can reduce the treatment time by 1 or 2 months. The advancement in Orthodontic treatment is mainly focused on aesthetic value during Orthodontic treatment. Or in simple words- How best one can hide these braces so that other people should not be able to make out if the person is undergoing any kind of treatment. For example, Lingual Braces are placed behind the teeth therefore it is completely invisible even when the person is speaking and eating. One of the latest development in orthodontic treatment is called Aligners. These are set of multiple transparent trays that tend to disappear as soon as the water comes in between the tray and the teeth.
