In your younger days, you couldn’t wait to have your braces taken off. You counted down the days until you were done with brackets and wires, but now your dentist tells you that you may need braces again to achieve the straight smile you want!
What could have led to this? How did this happen? Here are a few possible scenarios.
You Had Phase 1 Orthodontics.
For some patients, orthodontic care must be carried out in more than just one stage. In fact, it is recommended to see an orthodontist at around age 7 to see if early intervention would be beneficial. Early on, a young patient under 10 years of age may require additional room in the arch to make space for more incoming teeth. While the patient is still developing, making drastic changes with palatal expanders and braces is much faster and easier than waiting until later in life.
If you or your child has already undergone Phase 1 treatment, there may be a break of a few years or so between phases, but a second round of braces may need to happen to finish perfecting your bite once permanent teeth have erupted.
You Didn’t Wear Your Retainers.
Once the braces come off, you may think your orthodontic journey is over, but it’s not! For years afterward, you need to continue wearing your retainer, mostly at night, to keep your teeth from shifting back to where they were before. If you neglect to wear your retainer, your teeth will regress, potentially making another round of braces necessary.
Wisdom Teeth Shifted Your Teeth.
Sometimes, treatment with braces is complete before wisdom teeth have erupted. By the time your dentist finds them, they may have already started pressuring your teeth out of position, meaning you need another round of braces to correct the misalignment.
You Had Poor Compliance with Clear Aligners or Braces Previously.
Although they receive a lot of attention for being more subtle than traditional braces, clear aligners aren’t right for everyone. For instance, if you would struggle to comply with instructions for wearing and caring for clear aligners, you may not see the results you would expect. In this case, switching to normal braces—with brackets and wires attached to your teeth—can help you stay on track more easily.
Fortunately, most orthodontists will make sure you’re a good candidate for clear aligner treatment before starting it, so you don’t waste your time and money.
Although you may be disappointed to get braces another time, braces can give you the straight smile you’ve always hoped to get. By following your orthodontist’s instructions and keeping your teeth in healthy condition, you can finish your braces treatment and enjoy a perfectly aligned smile for many years to come!
About the Practice
At Brooks Dental, we believe in providing the most advanced care, which is why we have an in-house orthodontist on our staff. Dr. Julianne Bruno completed a clinical fellowship in orthodontics and is certified in Invisalign. As a result, she can offer orthodontic treatment to patients of all ages. If you think you would benefit from braces or clear aligners, contact our Winthrop office online or call 617-846-1811 to schedule an appointment.