Summer is the BEST time to Start your Child with Braces

Yes, we see all of the Back to School sales have begun, but there are still a few weeks of summer left – and now is the best time to bring your son or daughter in to start orthodontic treatment, whether they are getting Invisalign or braces.

There’s more flexibility, especially in late summer, when many camp programs are over, and school hasn’t yet started.

It’s better for kids to get through the initial adjustment to treatment before they start school. While most of the discomforts from braces have been minimized, there are still some kids whose gums and growing teeth can be a little tender in the first week after starting treatment. 

Your child will have more time to adjust to life with braces and the new routines that comes with it. They may have to learn how to brush in a different way, get used to eating with braces on and learn the cleaning techniques so their teeth stay in great shape during treatment. They’ll have more time to work through any adjustments if they start now. By the time school opens, you want them to feel more comfortable about wearing braces.

Kids do grow faster in the summer. It’s been proven scientifically and may be related to the longer days of summer and heat’s impact on the endocrine system. That means that the best time to begin treatment with braces is during one of those growth spurts.

Even if your child isn’t quite ready for braces, this is a great time of year for them to come in and see us. If they are seven years old, summer is the best time to have their free orthodontic evaluation. 

The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that every child around age 7 have an orthodontic evaluation so that early problems can be treated, which can help avoid the need for more intense treatment, like teeth extraction, later in life.

Our office has more flexibility in these last weeks of August, so give us a call today at (631) 427-8444 and we’ll be happy to make your first appointment!