Your dental care needs change over the years, which is to be expected. As you get older, new health challenges and needs emerge. The team at our Lansdale general dentistry practice always keeps these matters in mind, tailoring every treatment to the patient and their specific needs.
When it comes to teenagers, there are some unique considerations that we have to keep in mind. Let's take a moment to consider common dental care needs for teens.
Orthodontic Care in Your Teens
In many cases, a person's teenage years are an ideal time to perform orthodontic care. At this point in life, you have all of your permanent teeth in place yet are still maturing. This makes adjusting the position of the teeth much easier than it would be during adulthood.
Braces, headgear, and other orthodontic appliances can be used to alter the position of the teeth and improve the overall alignment of your smile. This won't just improve the look of your smile but can improve your overall dental health as well. Sometimes the teenager years are used to finish previous orthodontic work started during the pre-teens.
Invisalign® for Teens
While traditional braces are an excellent treatment option for many teenagers, they can be quite visible and uncomfortable. That's why a lot of teens prefer Invisalign®. Invisalign® is a clear alternative to traditional braces. Rather than using brackets and wires to adjust the position of the teeth, Invisalign® using clear plastic trays that are carefully molded to your mouth. Patients wear their Invisalign® trays at all time except when eating, drinking, or cleaning their teeth; they replace the old aligner with a new aligner every two weeks.
After several months and multiple Invisalign® aligners, a patient's smile will bee perfectly aligned. The patient will have undergone a full orthodontic treatment, but few people will realize that it's happening since the Invisalign® aligners are difficult to detect.
Sports Dentistry for Student Athletes
Student athletes can sometimes experience serious injuries while participating in their sport of choice. That's why many family dentists offer a combination of preventative and restorative services for student athletes.
On the preventative side of things, student athletes can be given custom mouth guards to wear during practice and competition. These mouth guards will help prevent serious injury to the teeth, gums, and tongue. It could mean the difference between losing a tooth and keeping that tooth intact.
If a student athlete does lose a tooth or suffer a dental injury, there are dental care services that can treat the injury. Dentists can work to fix chips and cracks, rebuild gum tissue that's been injured, and even save a tooth that was knocked out in some cases.
General Dentistry and Checkups
Regular dental visits are important for patients of all ages. For teens, the goals are to prevent cavities and gum disease and to offer tips for proper oral hygiene and dental care. Young patients can form good habits at this time that will help them have healthy smiles that will last for years to come.
Monitoring Wisdom Teeth as They Emerge
Wisdom teeth are the extra sets of molars that emerge during early adulthood. They can sometimes grow in crooked, causing painful impaction. Oral surgery to extract wisdom teeth is a routine procedure, often performed in the late teens or early twenties.
For teenage patients, dentists will monitor the development and position of their wisdom teeth, which will help with planning the extraction of the teeth at a later date.
Learn More About Dental Care for Teens
If you would like more information about dental care for teens and improving the health and wellness of your smile, be sure to contact our advanced dental care center today. We will work with you to help you experience great dental health.