Orthodontic Services for Children

If your child suffers from malocclusion with negative effect on teeth development, an early orthodontic treatment may be beneficial. This therapy is usually carried out with removalbe appliances. The average treatment time is about 18 months.

Removable appliances are made from plastic and have wire springs. They can be beneficial, especially for children, e.g. if your child still has baby teeth at the time of treatment. Removable appliances stimulate the growth of the jaw and train the mouth muscles. The patient can insert and remove the appliance himself, so the success of the treatment also depends on the "wearing discipline" of your child. Of course, the children are free to choose the design of their appliance (color, glitter, images), which often increases motivation.

For the treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances, small precisely designed metal or ceramic buttons, called brackets, are stuck to each tooth. The brackets are then connected to each other using a thin metal wire. The wires are adjusted at regular intervals to guide the teeth into the desired directions. Silver colored metal brackets, most commonly used for children, are very robust. Less noticeable but also more expensive are tooth colored ceramic brackets or transparent sapphire brackets (ICE™). Brackets become completely invisible when they are fitted on the inner surface of the teeth (lingual brackets).

Another alternative are the so called low friction brackets (Damon™), which allow a faster and more efficient teeth alignment. These brackets are also available in an esthetic, virtually invisible variant (Damon Clear™).

Today, fixed braces can also be customized and adjusted to the needs of the patient (Insignia™) for an even more accurate and effective correction.

Functional orthodontics controls the proper position of the maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw) during the growth phase of your child and enhances and harmonizes the facial appearance. Treatment can be done with removable appliances or fixed braces.

Single teeth can be moved into the desired position without affecting other teeth through the use of the so-called orthodontic mini implants. The mini implants are placed into the jawbone and removed when the treatment has been completed. Because of the ongoing growth phase, the use of mini implants is not always recommended for small children.

If your child suffers from temporomandibular clicking, pain or other disorders we will perform a precise TMJ analysis to identify and treat the source of the problems.

Within the framework of the orthodontic treatment we also offer regular professional dental cleanings. Amongst others, this prophylactic measure is an essential foundation for the prevention of tooth decalcification and dental cavities. We recommend professional cleanings especially for children with fixed braces because cleaning is more difficult during this time. Additionally, the smooth surfaces of the teeth should be sealed before fixed braces are put on.

Radiography is necessary for a proper treatment. In order to keep the radiation exposure for your child as low as possible, we use modern digital x-ray equipment. Compared to the conventional x-ray procedure, this reduces the radiation exposure up to 90 %. Moreover, digital radiography is very eco-friendly.