The other day I wrote about when’s the best age to wear braces. It’s a long answer to a short question.
There’s also a shorter answer.
The best age to wear braces is a combination of when you get the most effective treatment and you want that treatment enough to make it effective.
- Most of the time I get parents that want their child to have the treatment that’s best for them and the child doesn’t mind wearing braces
- Some braces work best when patients are growing at their fastest rate
- Sometimes the parents and the child know they want braces but they’re not ready to have complete treatment because they’re waiting to finish growing
- Sometimes the age of the patient isn't going to affect the treatment
- Sometimes I get parents that want their child to have braces and the child doesn’t want to wear them
- Often I get a child that wants braces and the parents can’t see why they’d need them
- Sometimes I get a child that probably needs braces and both the parents and the child can’t see why they do
and any number of other combinations.
Generally, plenty of children wear braces in their early teens and so if age isn’t an issue in getting the best treatment, then it’s pretty unremarkable for a patient that age to wear braces and that makes it a good age socially.
But sometimes the individual patient isn’t as motivated to wear the braces as the parents are for them to have the orthodontic treatment, so we have a load of visits where I’m fixing broken braces, telling them to brush their teeth more carefully and reminding them to wear elastics or removable braces more hours of the day.
I find that if someone isn’t happy with their teeth in their 20s or whatever age after that – I have plenty of patients in their 40s, 50s and even 60s - then they will wear braces if braces are the best option for them. They’ll do whatever it takes.
I find that no one wants to wear braces in their late teens. Most of my patients will put up with it, but they always want to know when the braces are coming off. Many will try to pressure their parents to accept a result that isn’t as good as they are capable of getting just to get the braces off sooner.
Most of the time the best patient momentum and the best orthodontic solution are just naturally coordinated but sometimes not.
So the right age is when it’s right for you.