20-23 the right age???

Message

#1 Post by **hollywood_smile** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:50 pm

hey i once read at a magazine ..or browsing on the net ??

..
anyway i read that the best age to worry about teeth was between 20 and 23.....or 21 and 23.....anyway...is it true? have you read about this? they said its because bones are in their point to be moved and stuff.......have u heard of it?

#2 Post by **Silverware** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:57 pm

I have read that the bones are more responsive to change the younger you are. I'm assuming this is why orthodontists recommend getting treatment as young as 7 years old.

#3 Post by **CelestialVoices** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:11 pm

I'm 22 and I just got my braces this past Wednesday.

#4 Post by **missing_tooth** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:45 pm

I have read about bones hardening as you get older, thus younger is better.

- Missing Tooth -

#5 Post by **Flora2006** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 12:43 am

Same here; I've always heard that the younger the better...though not too young. My ortho doesn't treat anyone under the age of 10 because before that age the jaw is still growing...

#6 Post by **weird_wired** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 1:40 am

Although the "best time" in terms of palate expansion would be childhood, before the bones fuse, there is really no "best time" for orthodontics: it depends when your teeth are ready, and when you are ready.

As we have seen here, many kids are just too stubborn and irresponsible for braces. They don't wear retainers properly, and relapses occur meaning they need re-bracing later on.

I even heard of a kid whose braces they had to take off because he literally refused to brush his teeth (a teenage boy). The hygiene and decay risk was so bad they couldn't leave the brackets and wires on, so they just stopped the treatment. He'll regret that like hell when he's older.

#7 Post by **Destor** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:29 am

Always heard the younger the better too, but the dentist did mention that 20ish was the best age to have wisdom teeth removed because of the healing time.

#8 Post by **Tunkabean** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:15 pm

Maybe the article looked at the fact that full growth and change ends around age 24-26... so in that case, getting braces in the early 20's lessens the time needed for retainers and so on. The jaws and bones are almost in a permenant position, so when the braces get the teeth aligned, it won't be long until everything is in place.

It's just a thought

#9 Post by **Evelyn** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:50 pm

It would make sense in the sense that you are still young enough for things to move around relatively quickly, but also you're done growing so your teeth are more likely to stay where they are when you are done. Many of my friends ended their treatment when they were 12 or so years old, and their teeth are messed up now, just 5 years later.

But as far as the moving the teeth around goes, the younger the better is what I've always heard