Information brochure for Adelaide orthodontists, ONiA. Editing, copywriting and design by Cadogan and Hall

1. What’s The
Right Age To
Get Braces?
If you’re a young person or teenager
who has been told that you need to get
braces, this news may at first be somewhat
daunting.
However, it’s reassuring to
know that you’re in good company, and
that a whole host of renowned celebrities
have been through the same experience.
Alternatively, you might be an adult who
is suffering from mouth and jaw problems,
or it may simply be that as you get older,
you want to improve the quality of your
smile. You too may very well be surprised
by the number of actors, models and
people in the public spotlight who have
likewise chosen to have braces as adults
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2. There’s probably not an age when you’re
actually too old to have braces (have a look
around at how many adults are wearing
them now!), so what is the right age to start
wearing them?
Most Australian orthodontists would agree
that if it looks like you’re going to have
orthodontic problems as you grow up—
crooked teeth, or a misaligned jaw, for
example—this is going to start showing up
around the age of 7. That’s why we always
encourage parents and family dentists to
carry out a full orthodontic check-up on kids
at this age.

3. At this time, if your orthodontist
thinks that you’re likely to need
some form of treatment later, plans
may be put in place but it’s pretty
unlikely that you’ll have to be fitted
with braces or any other sort of
appliance just yet. This is because
the best time for orthodontic
treatment comes later. For girls, it’s
between the ages of 11-12, and
for boys between 12-13.
This reason is that this is the time
in your development when you’re
having growth spurts, and your
head and mouth are actually still
growing, so this is the age when
braces can actually do the best
job.
So if it turns out that you do need
treatment, it’s fine to wait until
your early teenage years, but you
really shouldn’t wait any longer
that that. This is because if you get
problems sorted out when you’re
younger, you can prevent more
serious problems kicking in as you
grow up.
Also, any treatment you have when
you’re a teenager is probably
going to be more effective than
when you’re older and your jaws
have stopped growing. Plus, if
problems aren’t tackled early on,
to fix them up later sometimes
requires surgery, so that’s why we
always recommend sorting out any
problems as early as is practical.

4. Why
do
teenagers
n e e d
braces?
What do
braces
actually
d
o
?
Most young people who
have to have braces need
them to fix a problem like
crooked or crowded teeth, or
an issue with jaw alignment
(often called your bite). These
problems usually start to
appear when your baby teeth
fall out and your adult teeth
start to come in—this happens
at about 7 years old for most
people, which is why we
recommend you get checked
out by an orthodontist at
around this age.
The main job of braces is
to straighten teeth. They
do this by putting steady
pressure on your teeth over a
period of time, which affects
how well they are spaced
out or how straight they
are. To make sure that your
braces are applying the right
amount of pressure all the
time, you’ll usually have to
go and see your orthodontist
fairly regularly so they can
adjust them if they need to.

6. So what’s in it for me?
A great-looking, healthy smile is the most obvious
benefit of having your crooked teeth straightened out!
It’s true that some people feel a little nervous about having to
wear braces—they might be worried about how they’ll look and
what their friends will say, or they might be worried that they’ll hurt
(they won’t!). But think of the long-term, because that’s when you’ll
really see the benefit of braces. A bright, confident smile for the
rest of your life is a great pay-off, so it really is worth it!
There are some other benefits, too. If your teeth are too close
together, or too far apart, or your jaws aren’t completely aligned,
it can be much harder to brush your teeth properly and keep
your gums in good shape. This might mean that as you get older,
you run a greater risk of having tooth decay and getting gum
disease, which could lead to you ending up with pretty bad teeth
as an adult. So another long-term benefit to wearing braces as a
teenager is that you have a better chance of healthy, easy-to-lookafter teeth when you grow up.

7. What kind of braces are there?
If you think you know braces, think again! You might
be surprised at how small they are, how comfortable to
wear, and just how hard they are to see!
There are now more types of braces than there’s ever been, so
different types of problems can be tackled with different types
of braces. We’re experts in fitting every type of brace you can
think of, from traditional metal braces, to teeth-coloured ceramic
braces, to lingual braces that are fitted on the inside of your teeth
and no-one can see! We also fit people with Invisalign aligners,
which are a kind of removable brace made from clear plastic.
click on the links below to find out more
metal braces
lingual braces
ceramic braces
Invisalign

8. Visiting ONiA
Your dentist can refer you to us, but as we
are specialists, a referral is not necessary.
This means you can make an appointment
to come and visit us at ONiA at any time.
3rd Floor
Bagot House
198 North Terrace
Adelaide SA 5000
Orthodontic
Network in Adelaide
(ONiA)
South Australia’s biggest
orthodontic network
Ph: 08 8227 0336
Fax: 08 8227 1626
info@onia.com.au
www.onia.com.au