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Healthy teeth for children

From milk teeth to mixed dentition

Orthodontics for children

Healthy and straight teeth from an early age.

When children laugh, that's the greatest thing for parents! Straight and healthy teeth are also considered the ideal of beauty. And that's what parents want for their children, of course.

But it's not just aesthetic aspects that play a role. Straight teeth and a correct position of the jaw are also important for health aspects.

If the teeth grow crooked or the teeth bite poorly together, then a visit to our practice is advisable. With the help of early treatment, jaw growth can be optimally influenced.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you.

Your team of the practice Dr. Thomas Banach

Teenager

Braces for children

It is therefore important to identify and treat dental and jaw malocclusions early to prevent potential problems and improve the child's oral health and quality of life.
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Your child in good hands.

Competent diagnosis, consultation and treatment in our orthodontic practice in Frankfurt am Main.

Go to FAQ's

Your family dentist has recommended orthodontic treatment for your child. Or you yourself think that there is something wrong with the position of your child's teeth.

Parents sometimes worry too much at this point. Many questions suddenly arise: Does the treatment hurt? Will our child be laughed at by other children? Does it understand the necessity of such a lengthy treatment? Is it all really necessary?

These and many other questions will be discussed in detail below. What we would like to say at this point, however, is that you should not delay a necessary treatment. Many worries dissolve into nothing after a good consultation.

You will certainly find an answer to some of your questions here. We have compiled some interesting information about orthodontic treatment in our FAQ's for you.

For optimised development. When speaking, chewing and breathing.

The position of the teeth and jaws has a great influence on your child's speech development, phonation, chewing function and breathing.

Cooperation with Specialists.

Through close cooperation with other specialists such as ENT doctors and speech therapists, we can react holistically to problems and bring about an improvement in speech development such as lisping or an improvement in nasal breathing by widening the upper jaw.

We always make sure that the treatment measures are compatible with everyday life and age.

With all the necessary measures, however, one thing is always in the foreground for us, especially when treating children and adolescents: the treatment must not determine the patient's life too much.

How can tooth & jaw misalignments develop?

Due genetic predisposition.

Through thumb sucking and pacifier sucking.

Due to early tooth loss.

What consequences can misaligned teeth and jaws have?

Misaligned teeth and jaws in children can have a variety of effects. These include:
  • Aesthetic impairment:
    Crooked teeth or an uneven bite can negatively affect the child's appearance and lead to lower self-esteem.
  • Language problems:
    Misalignments in the jaw or dentition can affect articulation and pronunciation, which can lead to speech errors.
  • Chewing:
    Uneven dentition or an improper bite can make it difficult to chew food effectively.
  • Oral hygiene:
    Crooked teeth can make oral hygiene more difficult, as certain areas are harder to reach. This increases the risk of tooth decay, gum disease and other oral health problems.
  • TMJ problems:
    Uneven jaw and bite relationships can lead to TMJ problems, which can manifest as pain, jaw cracking, or limited mouth mobility.
Make an appointment in our practice.

Timely detection and treatment of dental and jaw malocclusions is of great importance to prevent potential problems and improve the child's oral health and quality of life.

By performing an examination of your child, we can detect malocclusions of the teeth and jaws at an early stage. If necessary, we will discuss the appropriate treatment options with you.

A child's laugh,
is pure joy.

How old should my child be when orthodontic treatment begins?

Tooth development varies individually, so the age of your child is only a point of reference. The eruption of the second teeth and the type of malocclusion are decisive for the optimal timing of orthodontic treatment. We examine your child and determine the recommended time window for treatment.

Time slot 1:
The orthodontic treatment in the deciduous age.

Treatment in the milk tooth age is between the 3rd and 6th year of life. We only decide to start treatment so early if there are weighty reasons. For example, there are tooth misalignments that worsen considerably in the further course and are difficult to treat at a later stage.

The advantage of such early treatment is that the jaw is still soft and particularly malleable. This means that major treatment progress can be achieved in a much shorter time and with significantly less effort than would be possible at a later stage.

Early treatment in the primary dentition is only necessary in a few cases. If the upper jaw is too narrow in relation to the lower jaw, we speak of a crossbite. Frontal and lateral crossbites should already be treated in the primary dentition. In this way, we can prevent possible growth inhibitions of the upper jaw or even a shift of the midline at an early stage and positively influence further development.

Time slot 2:
Orthodontic treatment in the early mixed dentition

If treatment begins between the ages of 6 and 10, we also speak in orthodontics of early treatment. At this time, the jaw is still easy to shape and the children usually already cooperate well. Often relatively simple orthodontic means and a relatively short treatment period are sufficient to achieve the desired success. Above all, however, since the jaw becomes more difficult to shape with increasing age, very strong corrections are only possible in the early mixed dentition.

Malocclusions for which early treatment may be advisable are:

  • Crossbite
  • Strong backbite
  • Prebite
  • Open bite

During treatments in the early mixed dentition, we concentrate on promoting growth and harmonizing the jaw. The actual malocclusions are usually corrected later in the permanent dentition. By promoting the growth of the lower jaw, we counteract extremely large front tooth steps ("distal bite"). With the help of functional orthodontics, we can also achieve harmonization of facial and soft tissue growth and ensure increased stability of the bite by optimally adjusting the dentition. We can achieve these treatment successes in just 1½-2 years. The decisive factor, however, is the appropriate timing; if this is missed, complete harmonization of the jaw may no longer be possible.

Time slot 3:
Orthodontic treatment in mixed dentition

Most children receiveorthodontic treatment between the ages of 10 and 13. The second teeth have erupted. This is the ideal time to correct malocclusions in the permanent dentition. This is also what the guidelines for orthodontics say. They specify binding criteria. Orthodontic treatment should only be started at the beginning of the change of teeth from the deciduous dentition to the late mixed dentition.

We can also still influence jaw growth in the mixed dentition, but the possibilities are already more limited compared to treatment in early childhood. Most children have not yet reached puberty and usually support the treatment very well through their cooperation. The best time for your child's orthodontic treatment depends on the type of malocclusion, the degree of severity and the maturity of your child's teeth. It is best to make an appointment for an examination with our practice team right away. We will take a close look at your child's malocclusion. We can then tell you which treatment options are available and when we should start treatment.

FAQ's

Here we have compiled comprehensive information about orthodontics for children.

Do I need a referral for my child when I take him to the orthodontist or orthodontist.
In most cases, the family dentist will determine the jaw or tooth misalignment during a check-up and refer your child to a specialist in orthodontics. But of course you can also directly ask our opinion about possible malocclusions of your child's teeth. We do not need a referral from you. Just make an appointment with our practice team. We look forward to your visit and will tell you what to do after the examination. You will receive a treatment recommendation from us for your child, we will discuss possible treatment options and determine when is the best time to start treatment.
Do children not like braces?
We get regular feedback from parents and children and can safely say that things have changed quite a bit. In the past, children didn't like braces - today it's completely different. Braces have not only evolved technically, but also visually. Thanks to colored and transparent brackets, they have become a fashionable accessory. Kids think their braces are chic and we think it's great that they don't just show off their beautiful teeth after successful treatment, but show off their new braces with a proud smile beforehand.
When is my child at the right age for their first orthodontic checkup?
Children should be examined for jaw and tooth misalignments at the latest when they start school. However, there are also a few dental malocclusions that are more treatable at an earlier stage. We will go into more detail below about why this is the case. If you recognize a malocclusion in your child at a very early age or see that the teeth are not biting together properly, we recommend an orthodontic examination when the child reaches the age of 3. Make an appointment with our practice team. We are looking forward to your visit. After the examination, we will tell you if early treatment is recommended and what it would look like. We do not want you as parents to worry unnecessarily or even miss the ideal time for treatment. Therefore, we will go into more detail about when which treatment is advisable.
How old should my child be when orthodontic treatment begins?
Tooth development proceeds individually. Therefore, the age of your child is a point of reference, but not an absolutely binding parameter. An important criterion for the optimal starting time of orthodontic treatment is the eruption of the second teeth. The eruption of teeth begins earlier in some children, in others somewhat later. It is also decisive which malocclusion is being treated. Not all malocclusions can be treated equally well at the same age. We distinguish a total of three time windows that are recommended for the optimal treatment of the various tooth and jaw anomalies. After the initial examination, we can say whether your child needs orthodontic treatment and, if treatment is necessary, in which time window it should take place.
Should children go to the dentist or orthodontist alone?

Preventive dental checkup.

Parents want to teach children to be independent at an early age and sometimes send them to dental checkups on their own. This is understandable and actually a good idea. But keep in mind: The dental advice for a necessary dental or orthodontic treatment is not always in the right hands with a child. He or she may not yet fully appreciate the implications or may withhold the treatment recommendation at home out of exaggerated fear of possible pain. We recommend accompanying children to their family dentist for dental checkups.

The orthodontic treatment.

If orthodontic treatment has already begun in our practice, ongoing treatment appointments can also be attended by older children and adolescents without the accompaniment of their parents. However, please note: From the initial consultation to the start of orthodontic treatment, the accompaniment of parents is urgently required.

You would like to know more? Make an appointment. We will be very happy to advise you.

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