So, your child needs orthodontic treatment to correct the alignment of their smile or bite. This is a very common occurrence, with around 4.5 million American children and teenagers wearing braces, and an increasing number considering a newer alternative – Invisalign. The prospect of starting something new over the summer may not be appealing, but there are a number of reasons why summer is exactly the right time to start your child on orthodontic treatment.
 

More time on your hands over the summer

If you have been told that your child requires orthodontic treatment, you may sigh at the prospect of fitting something else into your busy schedule. Unfortunately, fairly regular check-ups are an essential part of any orthodontic treatment plan since your provider will need to check on the progress of your child’s treatment often. When you are already juggling work, school and extracurricular activities, slipping another commitment onto the calendar can seem impossible.
 
Fortunately, summer schedules tend to be a little more laid back. School is out and with extra-curricular usually on the back burner until the next semester, you may find that you and your child have a little more free time than usual – making summer the ideal time to start your kid’s orthodontic treatment.
 

Your child has time to adjust

Starting any sort of orthodontic treatment requires your child to undergo a period of adjustment. Exactly what this will involve will largely depend on the type of orthodontic treatment that your child is having. Braces, for example, take a great deal of getting used to. Some of the things that your child may have difficulty with includes: 

• Initial discomfort when the braces are adjusted
• Food restrictions since there is a whole list of foods that must be avoided when wearing conventional braces
•  Learning how to brush their teeth properly, negotiating all those tricky wires and brackets
• Speaking and smiling with minimal loss of confidence because it can take some kids a while to get used to the appearance of their smile while wearing braces
• Even if your child is having Invisalign, which is a much simpler treatment in terms of the considerations that must be made, there is still a learning curve involved.

 
With fewer worries about school and extra-curricular over the summer, this is the best opportunity your child has to get used to wearing an orthodontic solution without any pressure or stress from external sources.

Extra time for your kid to take care of her teeth

We have covered this briefly above, but we cannot stress enough the importance of your child ensuring that she maintains a great oral hygiene routine – particularly when she is wearing braces. Invisalign makes it fairly easy for kids to take care of their teeth since they can be removed, and your child can brush her teeth normally. However, when your child has braces on, brushing her teeth can take a lot of extra time and effort. This is because the brackets and wires used can make it hard to reach some areas of her teeth, but if she fails to do so, her oral health will suffer.
 
Less time pressure during the summer means that your kid will have much longer to practice brushing her teeth and find a routine that works for her so that when she does go back to school and her other commitments, she will be able to clean her teeth thoroughly and efficiently.
 
If you would like more information about the benefits of starting orthodontic treatment for your child this summer, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our offices.